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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27900307">Another Year</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shotgunkitten/pseuds/shotgunkitten'>shotgunkitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Yule season</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 11:41:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>27,187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27900307</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shotgunkitten/pseuds/shotgunkitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick wanted to get his hands on his grandfather's journals for years and now his grandmother named her conditions: He gets the journals when he's in a steady relationship. Jumping at the opportunity to finally study his grandfather's research, he tells his grandmother that he has a girlfriend. The problem: He doesn't. Who better to ask than Sabrina to help him out and pretend to be his girlfriend while his grandmother is visiting for the Yule celebrations?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nicholas Scratch/Sabrina Spellman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>125</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. "You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone!</p><p>Christmas is approaching fast, and since that is the season of "fake dating for the holidays" fics, I thought I'd give it a try. And because Christmas should also be the time for feel-good fics, Nick has a family in this one. </p><p>Without further rambling, let's get started! And I'd be happy if you let me know what you think :-)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>But here we are again</em> <br/><em>With family or friends</em> <br/><em>Some extra time to spend</em> <br/><em>And I'm not mad about it</em> </p><p><em> (FINNEAS – Another Year) </em> </p><p>Sabrina was cleaning the chalkboard in her classroom, glad that the day was over. It was probably the prospect of school ending for the holiday break at the end of the week, but her students had been ridiculously noisy today, her pounding headache a testament of that. Usually, she loved teaching Conjuration at the Academy of Unseen Arts, but today she really regretted that particular career choice. She should have started working at the mortuary – at least dead people were quiet.  </p><p>Nick leaned in the doorway to the classroom and watched her work with a smile. She could have easily cleaned the board using magic, but she insisted on doing it by hand, the mortal way. Sabrina had always been like that, doing things the hard way as to not lose track of her mortal side and he couldn’t help but find it endearing. Especially when she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach the top of the chalkboard. </p><p>“Need help?” he asked, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing when she jumped a little. </p><p>“Wear a bell, would you, Scratch?” Sabrina took a deep breath to calm down her racing heart. She hadn’t heard him approach, too lost in her own thoughts, and hadn’t sensed his presence for the same reason.  </p><p>“Now that’s a bad idea,” he answered, pushing himself off the door frame. When he reached the front of the classroom, he looked at her expectantly. “Sponge?” He held out his hand. “Or I could always lift you up so you reach the top yourself.” </p><p>She rolled her eyes at that and pushed the sponge into his hand with a little more force than strictly necessary. “No need for that, thank you very much. I’d rather use magic.” </p><p>“Ouch, that hurts, Spellman.” He grinned to himself as he wiped the parts she hadn’t been able to reach. </p><p>“You’ll survive,” she said. “To what do I owe this … I want to say pleasure, but …"  </p><p>“Hey!” He threw the sponge at her, but she easily caught it. “What’s with the verbal abuse? I just helped you out there.” </p><p>“Sorry.” She sighed. “I don’t know about you, but I had a really hard time keeping the students in check today. They’re already way too hyped for the break over the holidays.” </p><p>Nick wiped his hands on his dark pants, leaving the faintest trace of the chalk that had stuck to the sponge on the black fabric. “I know what you mean. I had to kick a few of them out today because they wouldn’t listen. And it was kick them out or seal their mouths shut and I somehow have the feeling that your aunt wouldn’t approve.” </p><p>Sabrina couldn’t help but smile. “True. Aunt Zee would probably have your head if you did that.” </p><p>“They seem to think that I’m a bumbling idiot because I’m the librarian and not a teacher,” he guessed. “The young fools. They’ll learn in time that books are one of our biggest weapons.” </p><p>She nodded, leaning against her desk. “True. Plus at least some of them will thank you down the line when they realize you’re also mentoring the advanced students in independent study. But who better to teach them about books than you? Not even Ambrose loves them as much,” she quipped. “But you still didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?” </p><p>He shoved his hands into his pockets. Right. There was a reason for his visit to her classroom. However, he didn’t want to discuss this at the academy, where the walls had eyes and ears. “Are you up for a drink at Dorian’s?” </p><p>“You came here to ask if I want to go to Dorian’s with you?” She frowned a little. </p><p>“No. I mean, yes. I want to talk to you about something, but not here,” he explained.  </p><p>“What did you do, Nick?” She knew that look on his face. They had known each other for over fifty years now and the way he held himself spelled trouble. Usually for her because she found it incredibly hard to say no to Nicholas Scratch.  </p><p>“I’ll explain everything, I promise. Just … let’s get out of here? Doesn’t have to be Dorian’s, just not here.” </p><p>Sabrina bit her bottom lip and considered him for a moment before she nodded. “Fine. But let’s go to Dorian’s. I feel like whatever this is might be easier to stomach with a drink.” </p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>She took another big sip from her cinnamon flavored cocktail before setting the glass down on the small table as she looked at Nick. “Okay, so … let me get this straight: You lied to your grandmother about having a girlfriend because she won’t give you your grandfather’s journals otherwise.” </p><p>He nodded. “She has just spent a lot of time around mortals over the centuries and I guess she liked the idea of having this one partner you spend your life with. I mean, my grandparents spent almost five centuries together before witch hunters got him.” </p><p>“That’s a really long time,” Sabrina said.  </p><p>“It is. And from the way she still talks about him, I think they really loved each other. So, I guess that’s why my grandmother is so heaven-bent on seeing me in a steady relationship that she refuses to give me those books until that happens.” Nick emptied his tumbler and motioned the barkeeper for another.  </p><p>“And … you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend while she’s here?” Sabrina shifted in her seat, the idea rubbing her the wrong way. She didn’t feel comfortable putting on that kind of charade in the first place, but there was also the fact that she had developed a crush on him a while ago. Pretending to be his girlfriend was probably the worst idea on the planet in that situation. </p><p>“It’s just for a couple of days. She gets here the day after tomorrow and stays until the 28th. Please, Sabrina, I really want those books. My grandfather mentored your dad at some point, so I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a lot of interesting stuff in there,” he explained. Other than that, he’d get to put his hands on her, even if it was just in the most innocent way – something he had wanted to achieve for a long time, but Sabrina wasn’t interested in him like that. She had made that clear enough by refusing his flirtations since they met as students at the Academy.  </p><p>“And what’s in it for me?” Sabrina asked. Maybe she could deter him this way, by wanting something in return.  </p><p>“Remember who snuck out your dad’s journals for you when we were students?” He asked with a grin that could only be described as devilish. </p><p>“That’s blackmail.” </p><p>“It’s not.” </p><p>“Emotional blackmail, then.” </p><p>“Or just a little reminder that I risked my neck for you back then.” It wasn’t the most elegant approach and he wouldn’t pressure her into doing this if she was completely opposed, but so far, this was just their usual banter. “Please, Spellman. Who knows, maybe even something about your dad is in there. But we won’t find out unless you help me.” </p><p>She pressed her lips together in a thin line. Everything in her screamed at her to tell him no. But the way he looked at her, his brown eyes pleading, tugged at something in her. “I really think we shouldn’t do that. And why don’t you ask someone else, like Dorcas or Agatha?” </p><p>Nick picked up on the way she was phrasing her disagreement. “I’m staying away from the crazy, thank you very much. And you said we.” </p><p>Sabrina sighed. “You have to promise me that at some point, you’ll tell her the truth. I don’t care if it’s in six months or a year, but promise me you’ll come clean.” </p><p>He smiled. “I will. Look, I don’t like lying to her like this, either, but she’s really forcing my hand here.” </p><p>She looked at him as he got his new drink. This was a bad idea. Really bad. Ambrose-would-check-for-a-fever bad. Something going wrong or somebody getting hurt was almost guaranteed. And yet … “Fine. I’ll do it. But we need to lay down some ground rules. And we need to get our story straight. Because we’ll have to lie to your parents as well and they know that we’re not really dating.” </p><p>“Thank you, Sabrina. Really. I’ve been trying to get my hands on those books for years,” he answered with a smile. “As for my parents … easy, we’ll just tell them that we wanted to keep it quiet until we were sure. It’s kind of romantic, sneaking around like that.” </p><p>She rolled her eyes. “What would you know about romance, Scratch?” </p><p>“A lot more than you give me credit for. Just you wait.” Maybe lying to his grandmother would pay off in more ways than one. “So we’ve dated for … about six months?” </p><p>Sabrina nodded. “Keeping it quiet for longer would seem weird.” </p><p>“And you agreed to go on a date with me when I saved you from getting crushed by a falling bookshelf at the academy’s library,” Nick continued. </p><p>She snorted at the idea. “I don’t need saving.” Sabrina grabbed her drink again and took a sip. </p><p>“True, but … you were so focused on preparing your classes for the next day that you didn’t notice the bookshelf toppling because two of the older students were making out on the other side. So I dove in and kept the bookshelf steady just before it fell over completely.” </p><p>Laughing, she shook her head. “That sounds ridiculous. Nobody is going to believe that.” </p><p>He grinned, the kind the made the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly and his dark eyes shine. “That’s the beauty of it. It’s so stupid that it has to be true. Because who make up such a weird story?” Nick winked at her when he took a sip of his bourbon.  </p><p>Sabrina had to admit that he actually had a point. The story sounded outlandish enough to actually work. “Alright then, you played the hero and saved me and I fell into your arms like the damsel in distress that I was and I agreed to go on a date with you.” </p><p>“I took you on a picnic on the banks of Sweetwater River with all your favorite foods and after that, we went to see a horror movie at the Paramount. When it was over, we grabbed milkshakes and took a walk in the moonlight,” he continued. </p><p>She narrowed her eyes a little. “How long have you been thinking about this before asking me to play along?” </p><p>Nick shrugged. “Basically since I got off the phone with my grandmother and realized you were the only one I could ask to do this. And you have to admit, that first date would have been romantic.” </p><p>Sabrina huffed and took another sip of her drink. He was right, it was thoughtful and romantic and she felt a pang in her chest because it wasn’t real, but she couldn’t allow herself to go down that road. “You just got lucky there.” </p><p>“On the first date? Didn’t think you were the type, Spellman,” he said, laughing when she glared at him. He held up his hands in defense. “Sorry, sorry. Anyway, we’ve been dating since then and now we feel secure enough in our relationship to make it public.” When she nodded, he approached a more sensitive topic. “We need to talk about how … well, how much we’re going to touch when other people are around to sell this.” </p><p>She took a deep breath. This was the part she had been dreading. “I mean, hugs are okay,” she answered. She could deal with Nick wrapping his arms around her. </p><p>“What about kissing?” He knew that he’d want to kiss her in front of his family if she really were his girlfriend.  </p><p>“On the cheek?” Sabrina asked, already knowing it was not what he meant. She still had to try. </p><p>“On the cheek, on the forehead … on the lips.” He saw her blush a little at the last option and bit the inside of his cheek.  </p><p>“I don’t know about that last one,” she admitted. Her heart was already picking up speed at the mere thought. Actually going through with it wouldn’t help her to get over her crush. </p><p>Nick took another sip of his bourbon. Liquid courage. “Just an innocent little peck here and there. I’m not going to push you up against a wall and make out with you,” he said as way to reassure her, but now he had that image stuck in his head and couldn’t help but wonder what that would be like, to really get his hands on her, make her whisper his name. He grabbed his drink again, needing a distraction. Thinking about that wouldn’t help in the slightest and he needed to focus. </p><p>Sabrina bit her bottom lip. The road to doom had just opened up before her and she was going to do something really, really stupid. “Okay, fine. But that’s it.” </p><p>“Promise,” he answered. “So … we’re doing this?” </p><p>She sighed and nodded. “We’re doing this. Those journals better be worth it.” </p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>Two days later, Sabrina sat perched on Nick’s desk while she waited for him to pack up. He had just made his last round through the library to make sure everyone was gone before closing the place down for the holidays.  </p><p>“Are you sure it’s a good idea to introduce me as your girlfriend to your grandmother today? Wouldn’t it be better to, I don’t know, let her arrive first? Postpone that to tomorrow?” She fidgeted a bit and tugged at the hem of her skirt, suddenly self-conscious. Was she even dressed okay to meet the woman? </p><p>He closed his bag with a soft chuckle. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. She’s really excited to see you, Spellman.” </p><p>Sabrina sighed. “Of course. Just my luck.” </p><p>Nick grinned. “Can you blame her? Former high priest’s daughter, current high priest’s son – we're a match made in Hell.”  </p><p>His father had taken over the position of high priest after Blackwood had lost his mind and poisoned half the coven for being unwilling to join his Church of Judas. The newly appointed Antipope had sentenced Blackwood to death without granting him a tribunal. It had been a power play, but none of the surviving members of the Church of Night had found it in them to care. When all had been said and done, Nicodemus Scratch had become the new high priest and things had finally calmed down under his leadership, giving everyone the chance to rebuild.  </p><p>She rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah, we’re so perfect for each other. Why did you even tell her it’s me?” </p><p>“Because she kept pestering me when we talked yesterday. And glad you think we’re perfect for each other,” he quipped. “But there’s one thing I wanted to bring up before we go.” </p><p>“What is it? Any topics I should avoid around her?” Sabrina asked. </p><p>Nick shook his head. “No, nothing like that. I just figured … Spellman, we agreed that kissing would be okay, but I think we should maybe practice?” When she raised her eyebrows, he quickly added: “So it doesn’t look weird. I mean, we’re supposed to be dating for half a year now, there shouldn’t be any awkwardness or hesitation when we kiss.” </p><p>“So … you want to practice kissing,” she repeated, willing her heart rate to slow down at the prospect. She had been aware that it would possibly happen sometime during their charade, but she hadn’t expected this. And she hated to admit it, but he was at least somewhat right – they couldn’t hesitate or appear unsure if they kissed before his family. Damn him. </p><p>“Just think of it like practicing for a play. Remember that horrible version of ‘The Passion of Lucifer Morningstar’ Blackwood wrote?” He stepped closer when she laughed, shaking her head with her eyes closed. </p><p>“I’d rather not remember that,” Sabrina replied. When she opened her eyes again, Nick stood in front of her.  </p><p>“We were pretty good in that play, though. Despite the terrible material.” </p><p>She nodded. “We were.” After a short pause, she took a deep breath. “Fine. Okay. Do your worst.” Best to get this over with. </p><p>Nick didn’t answer, instead he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Sabrina froze for a moment before she shook herself out of her stupor and kissed him back, her hand subconsciously landing on his shoulder to steady herself as his hands went to her waist, pulling her a bit closer to the edge of the desk. </p><p>They didn’t notice the three young witches in the doorway, their mouths slightly open as they watched their teacher and the academy’s librarian kiss. They quickly left in search of their friends, needing to tell them what they just saw. </p><p>He lost himself in the feeling of her soft lips. It had been decades since he had last kissed Sabrina Spellman on the stage in the desecrated church during that terrible play, but his memory hadn’t done the real thing justice. Not by a long shot. He should have done this sooner, a lot sooner. Suddenly he was more than happy that he had blurted out that he had a girlfriend to his grandmother since it got him here, kissing a woman he had wanted to kiss again for a long time. </p><p>Sabrina tightened her grip on his shoulder as Nick pulled her closer. This was not what they had agreed on – this was so much more than just a peck on the lips – but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. Only Nick starting to nibble on her bottom lip brought her back to the present and she gently pushed against his shoulder as she broke the kiss. </p><p>They looked at each other, wide-eyed, panting. Sabrina wet her lips and saw Nick’s eyes drop to her mouth again at the gesture. “I think there’s not going to be any awkwardness,” she said, still a little out of breath. </p><p>“Yeah, you’re right,” he replied, fighting the urge to kiss her again. Nick dropped his hands and took a step back, bringing a little bit of distance between them, giving himself a chance to cool down. “So … I think we’re ready to go?” </p><p>She nodded. “I think so. I’ll meet your grandmother, stick around for a bit and then go home, is that alright? I told my aunts I’d be home a bit later to light the Yule log, so they’re waiting for me with that.” </p><p>“Sounds good to me.” He offered her his hand to help her off the desk and felt a small rush when she took it as she hopped down. When they walked out of the academy, Nick wondered about the glances some of the students threw their way, but didn’t think too much of it. He had a bigger, much older fish to fry at his parents’ house.  </p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>Upon entering the Scratch house, the first thing Nick noticed were his grandmother’s suitcases in the entrance area. </p><p>“How long did you say your grandmother is staying?” Sabrina asked, thinking the same thing. </p><p>“She was supposed to stay only for a couple of days,” he answered, his brow furrowed as he closed the front door behind them.  </p><p>They had barely taken their jackets off when a voice asked from the parlor: “Nicholas? Is that you?”  </p><p>“Yes, it’s me, grandma!” he replied before looking at Sabrina. “Ready?” </p><p>“Do I have a choice?” </p><p>“If you want to back out, now is your last chance,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t. </p><p>“You already told her it’s me. I’m not going to leave you hanging.” She grabbed his hand. “Let’s get this over with.” </p><p>He smiled at her, giving her hand a soft squeeze before threading his fingers through hers as they walked in direction of the parlor. “Thank you, Spellman.” Nick took a deep breath before they entered, putting a smile on his face. “Hello, grandma.” </p><p>“Nicholas!” The older woman exclaimed, pushing herself out of the armchair she had sat in. “It’s so good to see you, my boy!” She noticed the woman at his side, her smile widening. “And why did I have to pry it out of you that dear Sabrina is your girlfriend?” </p><p>“Hello, Mrs. Scratch,” Sabrina said, a small smile on her face. She had crossed paths with the woman a few times when she had visited her family, but they were barely acquaintances.  </p><p>She crossed the room. “Oh please, it’s Aurora! You’re part of the family now!” She first pulled Nick into a hug, then Sabrina, who exchanged a surprised glance with Nick at the gesture.  </p><p>“Yes, Nicholas, why didn’t you tell us that you and Sabrina are a couple?” His father’s gaze bore into him and Nick scratched the back of his head.  </p><p>“I asked him not to say anything,” Sabrina jumped in when he took too long for her liking to answer. </p><p>Nick nodded. “Yes … we, well, we wanted to be sure first before we told anyone,” he added, wrapping an arm around Sabrina’s waist and pulling her into his side. </p><p>The older warlock raised an eyebrow at that. “And how long has this been going on?” He circled the Scotch in the tumbler he held, the golden liquid swishing dangerously close to the rim of the glass.  </p><p>“Six months,” he answered at the same time as his grandmother sent her son a withering glance. </p><p>“Leave them alone, Nicodemus, you’re making them uncomfortable,” she chastised before looking at the young couple again. “Come, sit down. Tell me about the Academy, how are things going there?” Aurora asked Nick before looking at Sabrina. “And how are your aunts doing? I haven’t seen them in years. I have to do something about that.” </p><p>Conversation flowed easily after that, with Nick and Sabrina making sure to act their part, holding hands as they sat on the couch and leaning against each other. A while later, Sabrina’s phone vibrated in the pocket of her skirt and she cursed as she saw her cousin’s message.  </p><p>“I’m so sorry, I have to go. My aunts are waiting for me to light the Yule log and I completely lost track of time,” Sabrina explained as she got up, Nick with her.  </p><p>“Oh, but you’re coming back after that, aren’t you?” Aurora asked. </p><p>Sabrina looked at Nick, unsure what to say, but he looked just as surprised. </p><p>“Well, I just figured, since Nicholas will be spending the next few days here,” the older witch elaborated. </p><p>“I will?” This was the first time he heard about that. </p><p>“Of course, or do you have a Yule log at your apartment?” His grandmother challenged him. </p><p>“I don’t even have a chimney,” he replied. </p><p>“Well, there you go. You know why that Yule log is lit. And since you’ll be staying here, I figured Sabrina would, as well. No need to be shy on my account. It might have been a long time ago, but I know about young love.” </p><p>“Grandma …" </p><p>“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Sabrina tried. This went definitely, absolute way beyond what she had expected.  </p><p>Aurora dismissed her objection with the wave of her hand. “You wouldn’t impose in the slightest, dear. Right, Nicodemus?” </p><p>“Of course not, Sabrina. We’d be happy to have you,” he agreed as he emptied his drink. The high priest couldn’t help but wonder what his mother was up to. His son had shown time and again that he liked to scheme and plot, something he had definitely inherited from his grandmother. And the glint in the old witch’s eyes told him all he needed to know. His mother was up to something. </p><p>Sabrina looked at Nick, but all he could do at this point was shrug. His grandmother had caught him off guard with her request for both of them to stay. That would make things a lot more complicated than he had anticipated.  </p><p>“I guess we’ll both go home and pack a few things, then,” he supplied. “We’ll be back later.” Nick led Sabrina outside, both of them eager to get out of the house. </p><p>The second the front door closed behind them, Sabrina put her hands on her hips. “What the heaven, Scratch? That was not what we talked about!” </p><p>“I had no idea, I swear,” he said, holding up his hands in defense. “I was just as surprised.” </p><p>“Well, think fast, what are we going to do?”  </p><p>“I see no other way but to go through with it. They’ll realize something’s wrong if we don’t,” Nick said, dragging a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m sorry, Sabrina. I seriously didn’t expect that.” </p><p>“What am I going to tell my aunts?”  </p><p>“I don’t know.” He was at a loss, too. </p><p>“I’ll have to lie to my family as well,” Sabrina mumbled, more than unhappy about the realization. She had hoped to contain the lie to a small circle of people. </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Nick said again, pulling her into a hug. He breathed a little easier when she wrapped her arms around him as well. “I can pick you up at the mortuary when you’re done if that helps?” </p><p>She sighed and slowly disentangled herself from his arms, immediately feeling cold. “It might.” Her phone buzzed again. “I really need to go. I guess I’ll see you later?” </p><p>He nodded. “Just send me a message when you’re done.” While not exactly necessary for a warlock, he enjoyed mortal technology enough to have his own phone stuffed in his pocket, even if only a handful of people even had his number. </p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>“Sabrina, where have you been?” Zelda asked, her lips pursed as she looked at the big grandfather clock.  </p><p>“I’m sorry, aunty, I forgot the time,” the youngest Spellman replied, trying to avoid the question. “But I told you that I would be home a bit later.” </p><p>“That’s not an answer. We have been waiting for almost two hours,” her aunt chastised, taking a drag from her cigarette.  </p><p>Sabrina bit her lip. There went her hope of not having to go into detail. “I was with Nick,” she started, “at his parents’ house.” </p><p>Zelda furrowed her brow. “Why were you at the high priest’s house?” </p><p>So much for not lying to her aunts. “Nick’s grandma is visiting for the holidays and … well, she wanted to see me.” One last attempt to stick to the truth. </p><p>Hilda looked just as confused. “Why would Aurora want to see you, love?” </p><p>The young witch shrugged a little, trying to appear unfazed. “She wanted to meet Nick’s girlfriend,” she rushed out, quickly following up with: “Now, should we light the Yule log? It’s getting a little late and that’s my fault, so sorry about that. But we should really get on with it.” </p><p>Zelda held up a hand to stop her niece. “Hold on a second. You are dating Nicholas Scratch, did I just hear that right?” </p><p>Sabrina took a deep breath. “Yes, we’re a couple.” </p><p>“Then I did hear right at the Academy earlier, after all.” </p><p>Now it was the younger woman’s turn to frown. “What do you mean?” </p><p>Zelda scoffed. “The rumor of the Academy’s Conjuration teacher and its librarian making out has been spreading through the halls like wildfire earlier when I left.” </p><p>Sabrina’s eyes widened. Crap. Someone must have seen them kiss and now … oh no. By the time classes started again, the entire student body would think that she and Nick … “Shit. Oh, that’s not good,” she mumbled to herself. She needed to tell Nick, and soon. </p><p>“Now when did that happen, cousin? I have to say, I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell me about you and Nicholas,” Ambrose asked from where he lounged on the couch. They told each other everything, after all, even if Sabrina sometimes complained that he was oversharing. To keep a boyfriend not just from the aunts but also from him didn’t just seem off-brand for her, it also did actually hurt him a little, it was not just a phrase. </p><p>She grit her teeth, knowing that she needed to stick to the story because otherwise, her aunts would likely spill the truth to Nick’s grandmother and his parents. She hoped she could explain everyting soon, especially to Ambrose. “Half a year ago, but we wanted to be sure before we told anyone. We are now, so there it is. Can we now please light the Yule log?” It was a desperate attempt to change the subject. </p><p>“Six months? Sabrina, you could have told us!” Hilda said, making Sabrina flinch at the slightly hurt tone in her voice.  </p><p>Just what she needed. She wasn’t only lying to her family; she was also disappointing her aunt and her cousin. Those heaven-forsaken journals better be really worth it. “I’m sorry, auntie, really.” </p><p>“Well, then Nicholas must come over sometime for dinner over the holidays,” her aunt suggested, although her tone didn’t really leave room for argument. </p><p>Sabrina flinched slightly. “About that … uhm … well, I won’t be here for the holidays. Mrs. Scratch asked Nick and me to stay at the high priest’s house.” She left out the part where they were really more pressured into staying there because it didn’t change anything about the predicament they were in. </p><p>Zelda stubbed out her cigarette. “I hope you didn’t make a fuss about it, staying at the high priest’s house for the holidays is an honor. And while I don’t exactly appreciate you and Nicholas being the grit for the Academy’s gossip mill, I have to say that your taste has significantly improved. I never understood why you didn’t give him a chance in your teenage years. He was clearly smitten with you when you were cast as Lucifer and Lilith.” </p><p>The younger witch rolled her eyes. “First of all, I was with Harvey back then. And second, Nick wasn’t smitten. He wasn’t interested in being in a relationship back then. But that has changed and we’re happy now.” She bit the inside of her cheek, all too aware that she was digging her own grave, right next to the Cain pit outside the mortuary. “Now, the Yule log?”  </p><p>“In a hurry to get back to your boyfriend?” Ambrose teased as he got up from the couch, grinning when she sent a dirty look his way. He might be hurt, but that wouldn’t stop him from poking fun at her when the opportunity presented itself. </p><p>“Nick is in fact going to pick me up later, once we’re done here and I packed a few things,” Sabrina answered.  </p><p>“Well, please invite the high priest and his family to dinner, then. It’s been a while since I had the chance to host a small gathering,” Hilda said, a smile on her face.  </p><p>Now would be a great moment for hell to open up and swallow her whole, but the youngest Spellman doubted that she should be so lucky.  </p><p>“Absolutely! I insist,” Zelda added, not leaving any room for argument. </p><p>“I’ll ask, but I don’t know yet what their plans for the next few days are,” Sabrina answered. </p><p>“Well, try at least,” the older of her aunts added. “Now, we’ve wasted enough time, the Yule log is waiting.” </p><p>After the log caught fire, the family gathered in a circle and held hands while reciting the Solstice blessing: “May the log burn, may the wheel turn, may the evil spurn, may the sun return.” When all was said and done, Sabrina raced up the stairs to pack a bag – and also to warn Nick about her aunts’ plans to invite his family over.  </p><p>“Tell Nicholas to come in when he picks you up, Sabrina!” Zelda called after her niece, shaking her head. Almost 70 years old but still behaving like a teenager. </p><p>“Oh, leave them be, Zelds, you don’t need to intimidate the poor boy,” Hilda said. </p><p>“He’s not a boy anymore, Hilda, just as Sabrina is not a girl anymore. And I want to extend our invitation personally, who knows if she’s actually going to say anything.” </p><p>A few minutes, there was a knock on the front door just as Sabrina practically flew down the stairs to answer. </p><p>“Someone is eager,” Ambrose noted with a raised eyebrow. He had never seen his cousin like this before and her behavior seemed off to him. Almost like she was trying to hide something. The way she had tried to change the subject earlier, now trying to prevent anyone else from answering the door … it was odd. </p><p>Meanwhile, Sabrina had pulled Nick into a hug in greeting as she felt her aunt Zelda’s eyes on her. “Sorry about this,” she whispered in his ear. </p><p>Nick kissed her cheek and mumbled “don’t worry” against her skin. “Sister Spellman,” he greeted her aunt when he pulled away, reaching for Sabrina’s hand instead. He noted the approving look on her face as she watched them carefully and his stomach clenched. Zelda Spellman was perceptive – if they could fool her, everything else would fall into place. “Sabrina mentioned a dinner invitation?” </p><p>Zelda nodded. “Yes. Since the two of you are in a relationship, I feel it’s only appropriate for our families to meet for dinner over the holidays, so please extend the invitation to your parents and of course your grandmother. It’s been way too long since we spoke.” </p><p>He nodded. “Of course, I’ll let them know. We didn’t talk about our plans yet but I’m sure we’ll be able to find a date.” </p><p>Sabrina squeezed his hand a little harder than strictly necessary at that. They needed to talk about this dinner before mentioning it to his family – it was a recipe for disaster. “Your grandmother mentioned that she was looking forward to seeing my aunts again earlier. I’m pretty sure she’ll be happy about the idea.” </p><p>“Oh, definitely. But the Yule plans are my mom’s thing. She’ll get in touch with you,” Nick reassured her before looking at Sabrina. “Are you ready?” </p><p>She nodded and pointed at her bag that she had dropped next to the door in her hurry to open it. “All set.”  </p><p>When she grabbed her bag, Nick took it from her, earning a little nod of approval from Zelda for the gesture. “Then we shouldn’t keep my grandma waiting. I’m sure she’s eager to question you some more,” he joked and kissed her temple for good measure when he noted Hilda in the doorway to the parlor. </p><p>“You’re right, we should go,” Sabrina agreed and grabbed her coat. “Bye aunties, I’ll stop by sometime tomorrow.” </p><p>“Don’t let us pull you away from your newfound obligations, cousin,” Ambrose said, popping up behind Hilda. He noted the way Nick looked at Sabrina as she put on her coat and maybe he had been wrong in his earlier assessment of their relationship. The way he tugged on her scarf to make sure she was warm and the little smile that passed between them at the gesture was enough to outweigh the odd feeling he had had earlier.  </p><p>“Goodbye, Ambrose,” the younger witch said pointedly, making him laugh. When the door closed behind them, Sabrina took a deep breath as she and Nick walked down the driveway so they could talk. “This thing is getting out of hand, Nick, and fast.” </p><p>“Relax, Spellman. I don’t think your family noticed anything.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder for good measure – and just in case anyway looked out the window. </p><p>“There’s something I haven’t mentioned in my text,” Sabrina started. “Looks like some students saw us earlier.” </p><p>“So?”  </p><p>“They saw us kissing, Nick. According to aunt Zee, half of the academy already knows,” she elaborated. </p><p>“Son of an angel,” he cursed. He shouldn’t have approached her with that topic at the academy, that much was clear now. And he should have known better. </p><p>“What are we going to do about that?” Sabrina asked, pulling him to a stop. </p><p>Nick sighed. “We’ll deal with that when classes start again. Maybe we’re lucky and nobody cares about it by then anymore.” He saw movement from one of the curtains and pulled Sabrina into a hug, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Someone’s watching,” he explained when he felt her brow furrow under his lips. </p><p>“Let’s get out of here, then,” Sabrina said. Not that they wouldn’t be watched at his family’s home, but her aunt Hilda was a sucker for romance and especially nosy when it came to those matters, even if she wouldn’t admit it.  </p><p>“Back into the lion’s den,” he joked before teleporting them away. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. “Sabrina, how are your baking skills?”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!</p><p>Thank you all so much for the great response to this! I'm so happy you like this little story :-) And seems like Grandma Scratch is a real hit, huh? I'm having a lot of fun writing her, so I'm really glad you like her. </p><p>But without further ado, let's get going again. This one has some awkward situations, cookie baking and ... let's just say Grandma Scratch is having some fun. I hope you do as well, let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em><span>But here we are tonight</span></em> <br/>
<em><span>Drunk by the firelight</span></em> <br/>
<em><span>The future could be bright</span></em> <br/>
<em><span>Though no one's sure about it</span></em></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>(FINNEAS – Another Year)</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After lighting the Yule log and a more or less uneventful dinner at the Scratch house, drinks in the living room followed. Nick had his arm wrapped around her shoulders and she leaned into his side, both doing their best to convince his family that they were very much in love. Sabrina laughed as Aurora told the story of four-year-old Nick wanting to climb the Yule tree, nearly sending it crashing to the floor in the process. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You were always a troublemaker, huh?” Sabrina asked, grinning at him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled her closer and kissed her temple. “You like it and you know it, Spellman.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart started beating a little faster at the gentle gesture and she had to remind herself that it wasn’t real, to focus on the situation at hand. “I wouldn’t be so </span>
  <span>sure if I</span>
  <span> were you,” she replied, scrunching up her nose. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, really?” He raised an eyebrow at that. “I remember you being pretty fond of that when I helped with your little unholy crusades against Blackwood back in the day.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes. “Seriously? That was a lifetime ago.” While he wasn’t wrong, she still felt the need to point that out. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, then what about earlier in the li-” he started, but was cut off by Sabrina’s lips on his. The kiss was over before it began, but it still knocked the breath out of him. And from the look on her face, Sabrina had surprised herself with it, too. “See, you like it,” he mumbled, trying to recover. Only now did the soft chuckle of his father and the laughter of his mother and grandmother register with the young warlock. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’re alright,” she answered, biting her lower lip. Why the heaven had she done that? There was no, absolutely zero need to kiss him just now. But the way he held her and the glint in his eye had been too tempting. She needed to get a grip on herself. Fast. She couldn’t allow her stupid crush to make her do stuff like that.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If I remember correctly, you were quite the troublemaker yourself, Sabrina, especially when it came to my predecessor,” the high priest said, making her blush.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s not like he didn’t deserve it,” she stated, shrugging slightly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair point. He didn’t exactly make your or your family’s life easy,” he pointed out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina grabbed her glass and took a sip of her Scotch. “You can say that again.” Memories flashed before her mind’s eye, of her failed Dark Baptism, the humiliation of getting examined for a witch’s mark, getting put in the most basic classes at the academy and treated like a bug that needed to be crushed at any given chance – the list went on. She didn’t even want to think what Blackwood put her aunts and her cousin through to further his twisted agenda. Sabrina couldn’t help the shudder that went through her and leaned a little more into Nick’s embrace when his arm around her tightened in support.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How about we change the subject? We shouldn’t keep Blackwood’s memory alive by talking about him,” the younger of the Scratch men suggested.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re absolutely right. That horrible man has no place in this house,” his mother agreed, watching her son silently comforting his girlfriend. Katalin had always liked Sabrina and the way those two sat on the small couch, the young witch nestled closely in Nick’s embrace, just looked right. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, I apologize for bringing him up,” the older warlock said. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. He’s just still a bit of a sore topic. Give it another century or two.” She couldn’t help but relax a little more against Nick as he rubbed soft circles into her shoulder with his thumb.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A short pause followed and Nick decided to try and get them out of the living room. “I don’t know about you, Sabrina, but I’m pretty beat. Should we get you settled upstairs?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, trying to hide how eager she felt at the prospect of being able to drop the act. “That’s probably the best idea I’ve heard all day, the students were a menace thanks to the holidays.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I didn’t have a chance yet to make up one of the guest rooms,” Katalin said and got up, but Aurora held up a hand to stop her daughter-in-law. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense, I doubt they’ll mind sharing Nick’s old bedroom, do you?” She sent them a smile.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nicodemus raised his eyebrow. That smile was almost too innocent. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not,” Nick answered quickly and got up, offering Sabrina his hand. </span>
  
</p><p><span>She took it and got up as well. “Not a problem at all,” she agreed. It was very much a problem, the mere thought sending her </span><span>heart rate</span> <span>up again, but she couldn’t exactly say anything.</span></p><p>
  <span>“See?” Aurora asked. “So you can relax and enjoy your nightcap,” she told Katalin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright then,” the librarian said. “Good night, everyone.” After a round of “Good night” wishes, he led Sabrina out of the parlor.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When he was sure that they were out of earshot, the high priest turned to his mother. “What are you playing at?” He asked bluntly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The old witch simply smiled and took a sip of her Scotch. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the first floor, Nick closed the door to his old room with a sigh. “The good thing is, my grandma now reached a point where she literally can’t make the situation more awkward for us without realizing it,” he said, crossing the room and placing Sabrina’s bag on the bed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say that. Just don’t. We already got a lot more than we bargained for,” Sabrina answered. She grabbed her pajamas from her bag and nodded towards the adjoining bathroom. “Mind if I go first?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “Go ahead.” Once the bathroom door closed, he sat down on his bed and dropped his head in his hands. This was not how this was supposed to go. Sabrina was supposed to make an appearance or two while his grandmother was here and that was it. Now she had to stay not only in the house but they also had to share his old bedroom. While the thought of sharing a bed with Sabrina Spellman would make him happy under normal circumstances, this was going to be beyond awkward. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick forced himself to get up again and rummaged through his own bag, grabbing the sweatpants he had packed. He had forgone a shirt, which now turned out to be a mistake. He was still searching his old closet for something to wear when the bathroom door opened again and Sabrina stepped out, her skirt and sweater neatly folded in her hands and now wearing the light green pajamas he had seen earlier. Her face was free of makeup, her headband was gone and she looked way too innocent. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry,” she mumbled, quickly averting her gaze when she saw that he was only partially dressed. Not that she didn’t want to look. Oh, how she wanted to. But she couldn’t. Not that the glimpse she had caught of his bare torso wasn’t enough to send a wave of heat through her body.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. I forgot to pack a shirt because I didn’t think we’d be sharing, so I’m looking for something …" he paused for a moment and pulled a shirt out of his closet. “Finally. This should work.” Nick pulled the shirt over his head and quickly realized that it fit a little tighter than he remembered. “Are you done in there?” He pointed at the bathroom.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina quickly nodded. “I’m done. Is it okay that I left my toothbrush and some other stuff in there?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” he quickly reassured her. “Be right back.” His hand brushed hers as he went to the bathroom and she let out the breath she was holding when the door closed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Get a grip, Sabrina,” she muttered to herself and put her laundry in the bag before putting it next to the closet on the floor. As she took in the room, she found bits and pieces of teenage Nick scattered around the place and couldn’t help but smile. Something caught her attention over his old desk and she crossed the room. Sure enough, framed on the wall was the script of ‘The Passion of Lucifer Morningstar’. She pressed her lips together, the fact that he had not only kept the script but also framed it sending the butterflies in her stomach into overdrive. The only good thing about that play had been that she had gotten to act opposite Nick. She had trusted him not to take advantage of their situation and he hadn’t disappointed her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She quickly turned around when she heard the door open and went back to the bed, grabbing one of the pillows. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing, Spellman?” Nick asked when he saw her drop the pillow to the rug.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Making my bed, I guess? Do you have another blanket I can use?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head and rounded the bed, picking up the pillow again before tossing it back on the bed. “You’re not sleeping on the floor.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m not sleeping in a guest room, so what do you suggest?” She shrugged slightly. She didn’t mind, the rug felt soft enough under her feet.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I suggest we share, the bed is more than big enough. But if you’re not comfortable with that, I’ll sleep on the floor. We’re in this mess because of me,” he answered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not kicking you out of your own bed, Nick,” Sabrina protested, looking at the bed again. The thought of sharing it with him riled up the butterflies again, but she forced herself to stay calm. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled softly and squeezed her hand. “I promise to stay on my side,” he offered, making her smile as well.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Same, you won’t even notice I’m there,” she stated.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They settled under the covers, their backs towards each other, before Nick turned off the lights.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good night, Spellman. And … thanks for doing this. I know it’s a lot more than we had agreed on, and I really appreciate it,” Nick said, turning onto his back and looking in her direction. Her light hair shone in the moonlight like a beacon.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I promised I’d see this through with you, so I’m not going to back out now,” she answered, “Good night, Nick.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>
  <span>When she woke up the next morning, the first thing Sabrina noticed was how warm she felt. Despite taking a lot longer than normal to finally fall asleep, she felt well-rested, probably at least in part due to the warmth that radiated off of Nick. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes snapped open as she realized that the weight on her waist hadn’t been the blanket, but his arm that held her close as her head rested on his shoulder. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Oh no. Oh, heaven, no. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She carefully tried to extricate herself from his embrace, but he only held her tighter when she moved, making her curse him internally. Her eyes grew wider when his hand slipped under the top of her pajamas, his fingertips soft against her lower back. Sabrina looked at him, looked for a sign that he had woken up, but he was fast asleep with a content expression on his face. She studied his relaxed features, the forehead so often marred by lines when he frowned </span>
  <span>because of </span>
  <span>something a student said, the corners of his eyes that crinkled when he laughed, the slope of his nose, his lips that she just yesterday discovered were softer than she had remembered from their kiss on that damned stage in the desecrated church a lifetime ago.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The thought of their kiss in the library sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted to kiss him like that again. That was a problem. A big one.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina closed her eyes for a moment. She needed to get out of this bed before he woke up and things got awkward. She gently tried to lift his arm, but immediately stopped when he grumbled in his sleep. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Shit. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She considered putting a sleeping spell on him, just long enough so she could slip out from under the covers, but ultimately decided against it. Putting a spell on him while he slept felt wrong. So instead, she waited. When he seemed to be fast asleep again, she launched another escape attempt.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing, Spellman?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina froze, internally cursing that she had been caught. She slowly lifted her head and saw that his eyes were more or less open, squinting against the light filtering in through the curtains. His voice had been rough with sleep when he spoke and she couldn’t help but find it endearing.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I … uhm. I wanted to get up,” she said after a short pause, before adding: “But you wouldn’t let me.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I like you right here. Infinitely better than hugging a pillow,” he answered, a sleepy smile on his face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The witch blushed at that and cleared her throat, trying to find bravado she didn’t really feel. “So much for staying on your side of the bed,” she pointed out, realizing they had drifted towards each other in the middle of the bed in their sleep.</span>
  
</p><p><span>“You didn’t stay on your side, either,” Nick replied, </span><span>unaware of how</span> <span>her breath caught when he rubbed soothing circles into her skin with his thumb.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about that, I … we should build a barrier with pillows or something tonight,” Sabrina suggested. Her opportunity to finally get out of his embrace came when he laughed, his grip on her relaxing. She quickly slipped away and brought some distance between then, sitting on the edge of the bed, her back turned to him as she took a deep breath. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick sat up as well, his brow furrowed at her sudden escape. Had he said or done something wrong? “Sabrina? Is everything okay? Look, if you’re worried about how we woke up, don’t. So, we both like to cuddle in our sleep. No big deal.” In fact, he had been more than happy to realize that Sabrina was in his arms when he woke up. Happy enough to hold onto her through her attempts to get away, using the excuse of sleep to let his hand wander just a little bit. Her skin felt even softer than he could have imagined.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had enjoyed the feeling of her pressed up against him a lot more than he was able to admit, had noted in his still sleep-addled state how perfectly she seemed to fit against him. Like she belonged right there. “We don’t need to build a barrier,” he added as an afterthought. “Besides, that would look really weird on the off-chance that someone came in here to wake us up for some reason.” Nick mentally patted himself on the back for thinking of that last one, knowing that from a logical point of view, she couldn’t argue with that. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed and looked at him over her shoulder, taking in his messy hair and the a little too tight shirt that clung to him in a way that she’d rather not see because it didn’t help one bit. What helped even less was the fact that the shirt rode up when he stretched his arms over his head and her eyes dropped to the sliver of olive skin the movement revealed before Sabrina forced herself to look up again. “I guess you’re right about that,” she admitted. “We’d have a hard time explaining those pillows.” With another deep breath she stood and walked over to her bag. “Can I …?” Sabrina nodded to the bathroom door.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, go ahead. Just let me grab my stuff first and I’ll use the bathroom down the hall,” he said. Nick had noticed her gaze roaming, but decided not to say anything. The cuddling seemed to have thrown her enough as it was. But it felt oddly good to know that she wasn’t unaffected by this, considering how she normally deflected his attempts to flirt with her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that going to look weird if anyone sees you?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at the clock on his old nightstand. “I’ll just tell them it’s because we slept in and didn’t want to keep them waiting with breakfast.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “Sounds reasonable enough.” Sabrina sat back down on the bed with her clothes in her lap as she waited for Nick to get his things from the bathroom. She returned the small smile he sent her on the way out and closed her eyes for a moment when the door to his old bedroom closed. What had she gotten herself into?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>
  <span>The first day in the Scratch house was spent with Sabrina mostly planning her classes for when the academy picked up again and Nick working on a list of books he wanted to add to the library. They had taken over the large table in the dining room to work and Aurora walked by once in a while, smiling to herself when she found them in deep conversation about a book Nick asked Sabrina’s opinion on or Sabrina running an idea for one of her classes by him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However, something she noticed was how they at first sat with a respectable distance to each other, not something she’d expect from a young couple, but drifted closer every time she saw them. The older witch shook her head when she walked into the dining room to let them know that dinner was about to be ready as Nick rested his chin on Sabrina’s shoulder while reading something she pointed at.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The following morning at breakfast, Aurora watched them again, smiling at their display of holding hands and her grandson kissing the young witch’s cheek in thanks when she passed him the butter. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sabrina, how are your baking skills?” she asked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina shrugged. “I picked up a few things from my aunt Hilda, but I could never compete with her. Why?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Aurora smiled. “That’s alright, dear. I wanted to make some cookies today, would you mind helping me? Since the two of you,” she pointed at the young witch and warlock in front of her, “have worked all day yesterday, we didn’t really get a chance to talk yet. I’d like to get to know the young woman who stole my grandson’s heart better.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, I’d be happy to help,” Sabrina answered, unable to stop the blush creeping over her cheeks while she felt adrenaline shooting through her system at the same time. She’d have to spend time with the Scratch matriarch. Alone. What could possibly go wrong?  </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You’ll need someone to do quality assurance, right?” he asked his grandmother with a grin. No matter what she said, he’d find a way to hang around in the kitchen with them – he didn’t want to subject Sabrina to an interrogation without him there to distract the older woman when necessary. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You just want cookies fresh out of the oven,” she accused him with a fond smile.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged. “Guilty as charged and not even the slightest bit ashamed.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Katalin laughed and shook her head. “You have to know, Sabrina, that this has been a recurring theme since Nick was a child. Never patient enough to wait for the cookies to cool.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina smiled at that. “I’m … not surprised.” She looked at Nick. “Patience isn’t exactly your strongest suit.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The warlock raised an eyebrow. “That’s the cauldron calling the kettle black, Spellman.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was her turn to shrug. “I never said I was.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides, Mom, this is not a recurring theme but a beloved tradition,” Nick added, making everyone laugh. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina felt Aurora’s eyes on her, so she leaned over and kissed Nick’s cheek. “I don’t mind you hanging around for quality assurance,” she told him, glad that he was going to be there. While Aurora seemed friendly enough, the thought of being alone with her for hours had unnerved her. This way, he could hopefully interfere if his grandmother got too pushy with her questions that were sure to come. “Or you could even help us, you know?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head. “Not a good idea. I can cook,” at the look his mother threw him, he added “at least somewhat, but baking … no.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The last time Nicholas tried to help me, the cookies went up in smoke. And I mean that literally,” Aurora said, a smile on her face at the memory. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“After that, I assigned myself to taste-testing,” Nick ended the story.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Aunt Hilda can never find out about that,” Sabrina stated. “Otherwise, she’ll make it her mission to teach you and the academy will need a new librarian for the next couple of months.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell Hilda I can’t bake to save my life, noted,” he answered with a grin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Several hours later, the Scratch kitchen was filled with the sweet smell of cookies, vanilla and cinnamon mixed with other spices. Conversation was flowing easily, Aurora’s questions not as bad as Sabrina had expected. Most of them had been about her family and her job – those were easy enough to answer. It had gotten a bit bittersweet when the older witch had asked about growing up in two worlds essentially, the memory of the mortal friends she had left behind getting the better of her. Nick had quickly changed the subject when he saw Sabrina’s eyes glaze over, aware of where her thoughts were going. Things had gotten more light-hearted again after that, Aurora sharing more stories of Nick as a child, making Sabrina laugh.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick was reaching for another cookie when his grandmother slightly slapped his wrist. “Those are not done yet and you know it.” She pulled the bowl out of his reach and closer to her, chuckling </span>
  <span>at </span>
  <span>the offended look on his face as she grabbed the next cookie and dipped it halfway into the molten chocolate in front of her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you see that, Sabrina? I’m getting mutilated over here,” he complained, smiling when she laughed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’ll live,” she answered, rolling out the dough for sugar cookies.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick left his place at the kitchen table since there was nothing for him to steal anymore and wandered over to her, leaning over her shoulder to watch her work.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina forced herself to stay calm and concentrate on her work, despite how close he was. When the dough was thin enough, she turned around. “Any idea where the cookie cutters are? I should have thought about that before getting my hands dirty,” she mumbled the last part.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re in the cabinet right behind you,” he answered. “Let me.” He took a step closer, effectively pinning Sabrina against the kitchen counter. Nick opened the cabinet next to her and grabbed the box of cookie cutters, placing it on the counter behind her. He felt his grandmother’s eyes on him, but he didn’t care. A lot more important was the way Sabrina was looking at him with what he thought might be anticipation, her ruby lips slightly parted and looking way too inviting. “Hey there,” he said quietly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey there,” she echoed, her voice barely more than a whisper. Could he hear how fast her heart was beating? He had to, the noise almost deafening to her own ears. Why did he have to be so close? And why didn’t he step away again? </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She got her answer to the last thought when he leaned in and kissed her, his hands on her waist, pulling her closer against him. The breathless little sound that escaped her was enough to make him deepen the kiss and Sabrina needed to be closer, so she wrapped her arms around his neck, still aware enough to cross her wrists so she wouldn’t get him dirty. The intensity of the kiss made her slightly dizzy but she still didn’t want it to stop. Sabrina cursed him for having this effect on her. Why, just why couldn’t she have developed a crush on someone who was actually interested in a real relationship? Why did she have to pick a warlock who was not the relationship type?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For the fraction of a second, Nick had been afraid she’d push him away when he deepened the kiss, but was relieved when she kissed him back with just as much force. He could easily do this for hours, just stand there and kiss her. The realization was chased away when she wrapped her arms around him and he wondered if maybe she wanted the same, despite the signals she had sent in the past. When his grandmother was gone and this charade was over, he would talk to her, take a chance and ask her out. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The reality of their situation caught up with them again when a timer rang, violently jerking them back to the present. Nick pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers, both panting and trying to catch their breath. He noted how her eyes were still closed, her lips slightly swollen from his kiss and he couldn’t help himself when he kissed her again, this one over before it really began.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Aurora watched them with a little smile. The only ones they were fooling were themselves, so much was clear from the way they clung to each other right now, apparently neither of them willing to let go and both of them obviously overwhelmed by the kiss they had just shared. She cleared her throat and almost laughed at the way it made her grandson jump. “Nicholas, would you mind getting those cookies out of the oven before they turn to ash?” she asked, fighting hard to keep the smile off her face.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of his grandmother clearing her throat was effectively a bucket of cold water. He had completely forgotten about her, too wrapped up in that kiss and Sabrina. He needed to do something about that. And clearly, Sabrina wasn’t as unaffected by it as he had expected her to be. “Sure, I’ll get them,” he answered, taking a deep breath as he forced himself to step away from her to grab the cookies. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When Nick stepped away, Sabrina quickly turned around, closing her eyes for a moment. That kiss had rendered her mind completely useless and she needed to get a grip, and fast. She took a deep breath and pressed her lips together, the faint taste of the cookies Nick had eaten before still lingering. She grabbed the box of cookie cutters and dumped its content on the counter, almost blindly grabbing for one in the shape of a tree. At least she had something to keep her occupied for the time being. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Sabrina, I just remembered,” Aurora started, “Katalin talked to your aunt Zelda yesterday about those dinner plans.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? She didn’t mention it when I stopped by at home yesterday,” Sabrina replied, glad for the distraction. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you were there before they got the chance to talk. Anyway, they made dinner plans for the day after tomorrow and I wanted to ask what kinds of gifts your aunts would enjoy.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The younger witch shook her head. “That’s really not necessary, they’re both really looking forward to this. I think my aunt Hilda hasn’t stopped looking through her recipes since the idea popped up.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense, I want to thank them for their hospitality. Besides, it’s Yule, so a little gift is not going to hurt,” Aurora responded. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, if you insist. Hilda is always grateful about any kind of addition to the greenhouse,” Sabrina said. “And Zelda is always happy about a good bottle of gin.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick chuckled at the last one. “I think I saw our headmistress installing a martini bar in her office after the last staff meeting.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you blame her? I’m surprised Ambrose didn’t end up in the Cain pit.” Her cousin had only recently joined the staff at the academy and taught the basics of spell work to younger students, but that didn’t stop him from seeing how cheeky he could be in that meeting before his aunt would explode. It had been entertaining to watch from the sidelines, almost like watching a tennis match at times.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Same here, I really didn’t expect him to survive that meeting,” Nick said, grabbing one of the cookies he had taken out of the oven just a few minutes ago and shoving it in his mouth before his grandmother could stop him, munching happily on the sweet treat while Aurora sighed and rolled her eyes.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina smiled and shook her head, her smile growing a bit wider when Nick winked at her. She turned around again and grabbed a new cookie cutter, filling the sheet with a row of crescents, trying not to think about the flip her stomach had just done.</span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. “I swear, Sabrina, I didn’t throw a snowball.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone!</p><p>Thank you so much for reading and any kind of feedback, be it kudos or comments, all of that is very much appreciated and gives me the fuzziest feelings :-) </p><p>And can I just say: I'm really happy that everyone seems to love Grandma Scratch's scheming and let's put it this way: she's not done yet ^^ </p><p>Now let's dive in again, shall we? Please let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em><span>Don't waste a dime on me</span></em> <br/>
<em><span>Just want your company</span></em> <br/>
<em><span>Beside a Christmas tree</span></em></p><p>
  <em>
    <span>(FINNEAS – Another Year)</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Solstice was a lively affair in the Scratch household, as Sabrina learned. After breakfast, Nick’s father had gotten the Yule tree inside the house and the living room was filled with boxes of ornaments the family had acquired over the years, centuries even. Everyone got to weigh in what to put where on the tree, but Sabrina hung back, feeling almost like an intruder as she watched the family members squabble good-naturedly. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She had squeezed into a small spot on the couch that was not taken over by boxes and smiled when Gaia, Aurora’s familiar, trotted up to her. The snowy white wolf lay her head on Sabrina’s lap and whimpered until the witch burrowed her hand in the thick fur. “I hope Salem doesn’t get jealous because of this,” she said with a smile. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Forget Salem, I’m getting jealous,” Nick joked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina’s eyes snapped up, she hadn’t even heard him approach. When she heard the high priest chuckle, she remembered the role she had to play. “You don’t get to be jealous, you get plenty of affection.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He grabbed the boxes next to her and put them on the floor so he could sit down, his arm immediately landing on the back of the couch behind her. “Everything okay? You’ve been awfully quiet,” he asked, leaning in a little.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “I’m fine. I just … I didn’t want to interrupt anything. The four of you were in your own little bubble and I didn’t want to disturb that.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonsense, you are part of this family now, you get to join in on the fun,” Aurora said, watching the young woman’s reaction. To her credit, Sabrina didn’t flinch at the words, giving nothing away.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m okay over here,” Sabrina insisted, “and besides, I don’t think Gaia minds the attention.” The wolf whined in what could only be interpreted as agreement, making her smile as she started to scratch the animal between its ears. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t,” the older witch said with a smile, noting how her familiar leaned into the affectionate touch. She also saw the lovestruck look on her grandson’s face as he looked at the woman next to him and fought the urge to shake her head. After everything she had witnessed between them over the last few days, she couldn’t help but wonder why they needed to put up an act in the first place. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She had seen right through it that first evening, her suspicions confirmed by their nervous reactions to staying over. Nick suddenly having a girlfriend when she had made it a condition to give him his grandfather’s journals had just been a little too convenient for her liking to begin with. But she had to give it to them, they played their roles well. Not that they needed much imagination, from the looks of it. That kiss she had witnessed the day before had been as sincere as it got, but neither seemed to know what to do about it. Maybe, Aurora Scratch thought, she’d have to give them a few more nudges in the right direction. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She picked up the next ornament for the tree and smiled. In a small frame in the center of the pentagram was a picture of her husband, Nicholas senior, and his grandson, barely a year old at the time. “Look at this, Sabrina. I’m sure Nicholas hid all the pictures of him as a child from you so far.” Aurora crossed the room and laughed as Nick groaned.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Grandma, really?” He asked.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina stopped scratching Gaia, much to the wolf’s dismay, and gingerly took the ornament, a soft smile on her face as she looked at the picture.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s my grandfather,” Nick explained quietly, feeling a pang in his chest. Only a handful of years after that picture was taken, the warlock had died protecting his family. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She noted the shift in him and reached out with her free hand, placing it on his knee and giving it a soft squeeze. Nick placed his hand over hers, his thumb brushing over her wrist in silent thanks.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You look a bit like him,” Sabrina said. “Your eyes are the same.” She also noted that Nick got his dark curls from his grandfather, although his were streaked with gray in the picture. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Other families have noses or ears they pass down, the Scratch men all have the same eyes,” </span>
  <span>Katalin</span>
  <span> noted, laughing when Nicodemus threw her a look. “What? It’s true. You have your father’s eyes and Sabrina just said it, Nick has them as well. Don’t even try to deny it.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think we have anything like that,” Sabrina said, scrunching up her nose as she thought. No, she couldn’t think of any distinctive </span>
  <span>Spellman</span>
  <span> traits that got passed down and she had no idea about her mother’s family – and nobody she could ask about it, either. Her gaze fell on the picture again and her fingertips gently brushed over the glass. “We have a similar ornament with a picture of my parents on the Yule tree in the mortuary.” Her words were quiet and she took a deep breath, trying to keep the emotions at bay. Every year she got tears in her eyes when the picture went up on the tree, the realization that another year without them had passed setting in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick didn’t even think about it as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. He had an idea where her thoughts were going and he wanted her to know that he was there. “Show me tomorrow?” He quietly asked, pulling her a bit closer when she nodded. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina handed the ornament back to Aurora with a sheepish smile. “Sorry for hogging this,” she mumbled.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” the older woman said, shaking her head a little. “We all get a little emotional from time to time. And when if not during the Yule season?” She smiled. “Besides, Nick was an awfully cute child, don’t you think?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He really was cute,” came Sabrina’s answer as she looked at Nick.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, was?” he asked, faking indignation and making everyone laugh.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She remembered her surroundings and kissed his cheek. “Okay, okay, you still are sometimes. But usually you are just sweet, Scratch.” Sabrina couldn’t help but laugh at the look on his face. “Stop pouting!”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiss me and maybe I will,” he challenged her, well aware of his grandmother’s eyes on them. The way she watched them unnerved him. A tiny, paranoid voice in his head told him that it almost felt like she was waiting for them to make a mistake. But at least Sabrina was laughing again, that was more important.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed deeply. “Fine.” When he grinned and leaned in, his eyes already closed, she stretched and pressed her lips to the tip of his nose, laughing when he blinked in confusion. “You didn’t say where.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nicodemus laughed at the look on his son’s face. “She got you there, my boy.” He had always liked Sabrina’s quick wit and it seemed like she would keep </span>
  <span>his </span>
  <span>son on his toes, which was exactly what Nicholas needed.</span>
  
</p><p><span>Sabrina quickly got off the couch and sidestepped Nick’s attempt to pull her back. Instead, she picked a bauble from </span><span>one</span> <span>the of the open boxes and looked at the Yule tree. “Alright, were should this go?”</span></p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>
  <span>After the Yule tree was decked out in all its glory and lunch, Nick and Sabrina had left the house. Both needed to breathe for a little, away from all pretense. With coffee cups in hand they wandered along the streets, taking in the lights and decorations of the town square.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nick? I just realized … does your family give each other gifts on Christmas? It’s not exactly a witch holiday, but I guess my aunts just did it when I was a child so I could relate a bit more to my mortal side and then it stuck,” Sabrina said. Why hadn’t she thought about that before?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We actually do,” he answered, taking a sip from his coffee. “My grandfather was kind of fascinated by mortals and he liked the tradition of gift-giving, so he picked it up.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled at that. Maybe her father’s ideas of a better future, where witches and mortal could co-exist, were even influenced a little bit by Nicholas Scratch senior. However, something else dawned on her. “Then I need your help, I still need to get presents for your family.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to get them anything, Sabrina.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I do. Nick, I’m staying at your parents’ house and, well, your family thinks I’m your girlfriend, it’s going to look kind of weird if I don’t get them anything,” she stated.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed. She wasn’t going to let this go. “Then we’ll just say my presents are from both of us.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know …" </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously, Spellman, it’s okay, don’t worry about it. They’re our presents now and that’s done.” Nick waited until she nodded before taking another sip of his coffee. “I still need to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>something, though,” he added with a grin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina’s eyes widened. “No, you don’t.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it yourself. My family thinks you’re my girlfriend, it’s going to look weird if I don’t have a present for you.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then … I don’t know, we’ll just say delivery is taking longer or something,” she tried.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed at that. “And listen to my grandma berate me that I should have ordered it sooner? No way. You’re getting a present, Sabrina.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nick …" she tried again, but he shook his head. Sabrina sighed. “Can I at least set a limit?”</span>
  
</p><p><span>Nick shook his head again. “You’re worrying way too much about this. Look </span><span>at it this</span> <span>way: I’m getting a Christmas gift for a friend who is helping me out with something. Alright?”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” she grumbled. “But that means you’re getting one, too.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled. “Can’t wait to see what you come up with.” When a store caught his eye, he made a decision. “How about we split up to take care of those gifts now? Might be our only chance.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina nodded. “Sounds like a plan. We’ll just text when we’re done so we can go back together?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good to me. See you later,” Nick said and winked before walking down the street and turning a corner.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina took a deep breath. This whole thing was taking on dimensions she hadn’t anticipated when she had agreed, against better judgment, to play Nick’s girlfriend for a few days. The worst of all was the toll this was taking on her, though. Being around him constantly, the touches, sharing a bed with him … it was making it harder and harder for her to stay focused, to tell herself none of it was real. That kiss in the kitchen didn’t help things, either. Her lips still tingled at the memory of how good It had felt. She needed to get over her stupid crush and soon, before she did something even more moronic. And stupid Nick for making her feel this way in the first place when she was well-aware it wouldn’t lead to anything. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. These thoughts were not helping. She needed to focus on finding a Christmas gift for him now. At least that gave her something to do, kept her mind busy. When Sabrina looked around and saw </span>
  <span>Cee’s</span>
  <span> shop, she had an idea. She quickly crossed the street and entered the shop, her steps leading her straight to the man she had adopted as her uncle a long time ago. “</span>
  <span>Cee</span>
  <span>, I need your help.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Nick had waited until Sabrina had vanished in </span>
  <span>Cee’s</span>
  <span> shop before walking in the opposite direction. The jewelry store had caught his attention earlier and reminded him of the fact that he hadn’t seen Sabrina with a necklace for a while now. She would probably tell him it was too much, but he’d find a way to get her to keep whatever he ended up buying. At least she couldn’t outright refuse it, so the whole ruse had at least one good thing about it. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well, one more good thing since he got to hold Sabrina in his arms at night, at least for the moment. After ending up cuddling again the second night, they had given up on trying to stay apart the night before and just settled closer to begin with. He smiled at the thought of the sleepy grin on her face that morning when she was still nestled into his embrace. He couldn’t tell her how much he cherished those moments, the only thing further up that list were their kisses. Their moment in the kitchen had taken on a life of its own, but it had made Nick realize just how much he actually wanted it to be real. When this charade was over, he’d talk to her in earnest. No flirting that she could interpret as him not being serious. He would tell her that he wanted to be with her. Just a few more days to go. For now, he looked at the necklaces on display, hoping something would catch his eye.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why are we doing this again, Spellman?” Nick asked the next day as he used his magic to shove more snow in their direction. It had been snowing the entire night and when Sabrina had looked out the window, she had insisted they build a snow witch and warlock. With how she excited she had been at the prospect, bouncing a little on the spot and her eyes shining, it had been impossible for Nick to tell her no. So here they were, for the better part of an hour already, bundled up in coats and scarves and woolen hats and putting together their snow people. </span>
  
</p><p><span>“I’ve been doing this every year for as long as I can remember, so it’s a tradition,” Sabrina explained. “Ambrose started it when I was a child, making up stories</span> <span>for me about who</span><span> they were and that they were keeping watch outside the mortuary so nothing bad could enter the house over the holidays, reinforcing the Yule log. When I got older, it had just stuck and even in years where we didn’t get enough snow, we made it snow a little extra around the house to build our snow guards. And since I’m not at the mortuary, you’re getting dragged into this,” she ended with a grin.</span></p><p>
  <span>He smiled at that, the story of Ambrose taking care of his cousin that way tugging at his heart. “Well, I’m glad you’re dragging me into this, then,” he answered, firmly pushing more snow to what was going to become the warlock’s head. The witch already stood proud, </span>
  <span>an enchanted candle that wouldn’t stop burning or grow warm fixed in the hands that were crossed in front of her.</span>
  <span>  The still headless warlock already held an enchanted snowy spell book with glowing letters that would simply look like fairy lights to any mortal passing by. When he thought the head was big enough, he turned to Sabrina. “What do you think?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She tilted her head a little, looking at the smaller ball and then at the rest of the snow warlock. “Looks good. </span>
  <em>
    <span>On </span>
  </em>
  <span>with his head,” she joked with a grin. Once the globe was secured, they starting giving their snow people faces, using the traditional pieces of charcoal to do it. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After their work was done, they stood next to each other, looking at their handiwork. Nick put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer, noting how flushed her cheeks were from the cold. “I think we did pretty good with these, what about you?” The candle and spell book had been his ideas to give them a little more detail.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re right,” Sabrina agreed. “Thanks for doing this with me.” She leaned a little more into his side, enjoying the way he held her probably – no, most likely - a little too much. “Okay, how about I put a protection spell on them to keep them from melting in the sunshine and you start packing up?” They had gotten a few of </span>
  <span>Katalin’s</span>
  <span> gardening tools to make their life a little easier since Sabrina had insisted that they do at least most of the work by hand, the mortal way. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good. And then hot chocolate once we’re inside?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina smiled at that. “You read my mind.” She made quick work of the spells, securing the witch and warlock against damage from the weather, and was just done with the second one when something heavy hit her back. She twisted to get a look and sure enough, the remnants of a snow ball clung to her coat. “Seriously, Nick?” she asked, an eyebrow raised.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He looked confused.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A snowball, really?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t do anything,” Nick said, raising his hands. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, if you didn’t, then who was it? It’s not like there’s anyone else around,” she answered, gesturing at the empty driveway leading up to the Scratch house.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear, Sabrina, I didn’t throw a snowball,” he insisted, but then smirked. “I would have a aimed a little lower.” When he saw her eyes widen at the admission, his smirk grew wider with his mission to ruffle her feathers accomplished.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nick! Very mature.” She felt heat rush to her cheeks.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Neither of them noticed Aurora Scratch watching them from the living room window with a smile on her face. She had watched them work, seen the glances when the other wasn’t looking. Had watched them cuddle when they were done, looking at their work. It was time to hopefully give them another little nudge in what she thought was definitely the right direction – or at the very least, they’d get some fun out of this. So she had used her magic to form a nice, tight ball of snow and tossed it at Sabrina, knowing she’d think her grandson to be the culprit. Her smile widened when she saw Sabrina bend down to scoop up a handful of snow and form a ball of her own the second Nick turned his back to her to pack up the rest of the things. </span>
  
</p><p><span>He stood up straight when he felt something hit his shoulder and slowly turned around. “Spellman, I told you, I didn’t throw it.” Another snowball hit him square in the chest. “Okay, this means war.” Nick </span><span>bent</span> <span>down and quickly formed a tight ball of snow, haphazardly throwing it in her direction while already working on the next.</span></p><p>
  <span>Sabrina fired back another one, laughing when she dodged another attack. Her own missile went over his shoulder and she squealed when Nick hit her in the thigh. She used her magic to manifest a snowfall behind him, a triumphant smile on her face when he looked stunned at the hit from behind for a split-second. “Everything alright, Scratch?” she asked innocently, quickly dodging behind a tree to avoid getting hit. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Never been better,” he answered, looking at the tree with a devilish grin. Before Sabrina could flee, he called up a breeze, dumping some of the snow that had gathered on the naked branches on her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to regret that!” Sabrina promised, shaking her head to get rid of as much snow as possible. Still cowering behind the tree, she formed several snowballs, launching them as a barrage at Nick, one hitting his side, the next his knee and one at least grazing his shoulder when he dove behind a hedge to relative safety. “Come out, Nick, or are you scared of a little snow?” she taunted.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Says the one hiding behind a tree,” he responded. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had a point, so she stepped out in the open, snowball in hand. “Well, here I am.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick threw another missile her way, using her momentary distraction when she dodged it to come out of hiding as well, ducking his head when she aimed a little too high, just in case. They resorted to manually throw snowballs at each other for a while, an unspoken agreement reached to not use magic, and Nick had no idea when the last time he had laughed so hard had been. He had lost his hat at some point, but he didn’t care. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina stumbled while dodging another ball and landed on her side, still laughing as she lay in the thick blanket of snow. Nick quickly crossed the space between them. “Are you okay?” He crouched down next to her, holding out his hand to help her up. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Never been better,” she threw his own words back at him as she grabbed his hand and pulled him down next to her instead. Her laughter filled the air as she used his momentary distraction at what was happening and climbed on top of him to hold him in place, a snowball in her hand. “I guess this means I win,” she stated.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, you think so?” As she nodded and tossed up her snowball up a few inches before catching it again in a demonstration of power, Nick put his hands on her hips and rolled them over, pinning her to the ground beneath him. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina’s eyes widened as she stared up at him. She hadn’t really taken into account that from a solely physical point of view, he could easily overpower her when she had cockily toyed with that snowball instead of paying attention to what he was doing. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think this means </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>win,” he said, grinning down at her. Nick took in her flushed cheeks, not just from the cold now but also from their small-scale warfare, the way her dark eyes shone. Her woolen hat was slightly askew, probably from them rolling around in the snow just now and she looked positively adorable. He brushed a blonde curl away from her face and fought the urge to lean down and kiss her with everything he had, afraid that it was a losing battle.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina looked up at him, the way he was leaning over her not making her uncomfortable but actually safe. It had started to snow again during their fight and flakes started to get caught in his dark curls, disheveled from the snowball fight. His cheeks were red, probably from the cold just as much as from running around like headless chicken, and the way he was looking at her was almost </span>
  <span>hypnotizing, his eyes never breaking contact. Before she could stop herself, she reached out, tangling her fingers in his hair as she leaned up and pressed her lips to his.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick froze at the initial contact of her cold lips against his, but he quickly caught himself and responded to her kiss just as enthusiastically. He leaned down a bit more, allowing her to lay back down as he cushioned her head with one hand against the cold ground. When she gasped at the contact, he used the opportunity to deepen the kiss, something inside him proud when he heard the breathless little noise of approval from the back of her throat and felt her fingers in his hair tighten as she pulled him closer. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her toes curled as he deepened the kiss and she sought more contact, pulled him closer. A part of her brain screamed at her to stop, that he was going to realize that she had feelings for him she shouldn’t have, but the kiss felt way too good to stop. It really wasn’t healthy to do this, but their whole charade was going to be over in a few days, taking the taste of what would never be real with it. </span>
  <span>So</span>
  <span> she decided to focus on the now, to enjoy this, soak up the way It felt to kiss him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He heard the snow coming down harder around them, knew, somewhere in his mind, that they should go inside. They wouldn’t get sick thanks to their nature, but it would already be uncomfortable enough when they entered the house and the snow stuck to their clothes inevitably melted. But at the same time, going inside would mean having to stop kissing her like this and Nick wouldn’t do that before he absolutely had to. He wanted her, all of her, there was no denying it and the longer their ruse lasted, the clearer it became to him just how much he longed for it to be real instead. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After what felt like an eternity, he had to pull away, the need to breathe deep overwhelming. He leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed, their labored breath mingling. “That kiss was something else,” he whispered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It was,” Sabrina replied quietly. When she opened her eyes, panic set in. There was no excuse for that kiss. They were alone, didn’t have anything to prove to anyone. What could she possibly tell him if he asked why she kissed him when there was no reason to? Her eyes fell to the living room window and the drapes framing it. The perfect excuse. “I saw the curtains in the parlor move, so I figured a kiss when whoever was watching thought we didn’t know would help to sell it,” she rushed out.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What neither of them knew was that Aurora Scratch had in fact watched chaos unfold and stepped away from the window when they had locked lips, giving them the privacy she hadn’t been able to two days prior in the kitchen.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick slowly opened his eyes and looked at her, pushing himself up a bit. He wasn’t sure what to make of the slightly wide-eyed expression on her face. “Good thinking,” he answered, taking another breath before he pushed himself off of her completely and got up, offering her his hand for the second time that day. This time, she let him pull her to her feet. “So … uhm,” Nick started, scratching the back of his neck, “we should probably head inside, put on some dry clothes.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She quickly nodded. “We really should. Before all the snow starts melting, anyway.” Sabrina grabbed the tools Nick had packed up earlier. “And I think you mentioned hot chocolate to warm up?” She desperately needed to take her mind off of what had just happened. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I did,” he confirmed. “Let’s get inside. We’ll also need to get ready for dinner with your family soon anyway. My mother won’t let us hear the end of it if we’re late.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina sighed. That stupid dinner. “Can’t wait for that to be over,” she grumbled, walking up to the house with him, their shoulders brushing. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll manage,” Nick reassured her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably at the cost of our sanity, though.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick wrapped his arm around Sabrina’s waist as they sat in the mortuary’s parlor, eggnog in hand. She had been slightly fidgeting in her seat ever since they sat down and he could feel the nervous energy radiating off of her. She had been nervous ever since they got ready to come over, sure they were going to get called out tonight by her aunt Zelda. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You know her, she’s too perceptive! She’ll know when she sees us for more than a few minutes!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sabrina had said, huffing when Nick had smiled and shook his head. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“At first, I thought I’d have to hide their books and lists because they just kept working as if they weren’t on a break for the holidays as well,” Aurora told Zelda with a slight shake of her head.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I can’t exactly say that I disapprove. Certain members of the staff could really use their work ethic as an example,” Zelda answered.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t say that once you see the list of books I want for the library,” Nick jumped in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda sighed. “Of course. Anything you want me to spend the academy’s funds on, too, Sabrina?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Her niece shook her head. “I’m good, I just planned the curriculum for the first couple of weeks after the break.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But it was not all work for the last few days, was it?” Hilda asked, her brow furrowed. Surely they used their break to relax as well, right? If not, she’d really have to talk to Sabrina. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not, auntie,” Sabrina answered, trying to dissuade her concerns.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sabrina helped me bake some Christmas cookies,” Aurora added with a smile. “And Nick ate half of them before they had the chance to cool.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Grandma! It wasn’t that much, only a third of them,” the young warlock defended himself, making everyone laugh. He enjoyed the way Sabrina leaned a little more into him, at least slightly relaxing. Things had been weird between them after their kiss earlier, at least when they were alone. There was a tension in the air he had no idea how to defuse, but he certainly didn’t like it. At least they were still able to act like they were supposed to in company. “But anyway, earlier today we built a snow witch and warlock outside the house. So it definitely wasn’t all work.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You did?” Ambrose asked, his eyebrow raised as he looked at Sabrina. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged. “It’s tradition.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>our </span>
  </em>
  <span>tradition,” he answered, an edge to his tone that she hadn’t expected. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, since I wasn’t here, I asked Nick to help me, I still wanted to do that,” Sabrina said. “But we can still do that here as well tomorrow or the day after,” she suggested, trying to pacify her cousin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ambrose shook his head. “No, don’t worry. It’s probably time to let go of that anyway.” He emptied his eggnog. “I’m going to get a refill, you outdid yourself, auntie,” he told Hilda, vanishing to the kitchen without another word.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The room was silent for a moment after that, nobody exactly sure what just happened. Sabrina got up from her seat. “I’ll talk to him. Sorry about that.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Want me to come with you?” Nick asked, worry lacing his words. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. “It might be better if I go alone.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” he agreed, but he sounded wary. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina found Ambrose sitting at the kitchen table, looking out the window without really seeing anything in the dark. She sat down next to him and just looked at him, waiting for him to speak. When he didn’t, she sighed. “What’s the matter, Ambrose? Why are you so mad about this?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not mad,” he answered, his tone clipped. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you are.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m disappointed, Sabrina. There’s a difference.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She flinched at his admission. “Why is this such a big deal? So, we didn’t build them together this year. We’ll get to do that again next year.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ambrose looked at her, his expression blank. “Cousin, that was always our thing. Ever since you were little. We have done this every single year for decades. We wouldn’t even let the aunts help. And now you just go ahead and replace me. That’s the big deal.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina bit her bottom lip, realizing how much she had hurt him. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” She really hadn’t thought it would blow up like this. “It’s just … everything is so different this year. I guess I just wanted or even needed something familiar I could hold onto,” she tried to explain. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But why didn’t you just come home for a bit? I’m pretty sure they’re not holding you hostage there,” he said. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She paused for a moment. Why hadn’t she? It would have been a ready-made excuse to get away for a few hours. Instead, she had asked Nick. “I … I didn’t even think about coming home or not asking Nick,” she admitted quietly, looking down at her hands. “I’m so sorry, Ambrose.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He looked at her, the shameful expression on her face. “You really love him, huh?” When she lifted her eyes to meet his, they were sad, a stark contrast to how she had looked earlier in the living room, and he frowned. What had just happened?</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to tell you something. But you have to swear that you won’t say a thing to anyone, especially not Nick’s grandmother,” she asked. When he nodded, she spilled the whole story, how Nick had asked her to play his girlfriend, her agreeing to it and then the whole thing spinning out of control when Aurora had made things a lot more complicated for them. “The problem is … I’m in love with him, Ambrose,” she ended her tale. Sabrina had realized earlier that she had left the status of a simple crush behind when she had replayed their kiss in the snow in her head. After that, she had tried to keep her distance from Nick as best as she could when they were alone, not knowing how to act around him anymore.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you tell him?” he asked, his brow still furrowed. At least now her odd behavior a few days ago made sense – he hadn’t been imagining things, after all. She had tried, and succeeded, to hide something from them.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, and I’m not going to, either. You know him, despite our little charade, he’s not a relationship kind of guy, not really. But that’s what </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>want. I want that commitment. I don’t know if that’s my mortal side showing, but I’m just not cut out for the life a lot of our kind lead. </span>
  <span>So</span>
  <span> it’s better if he doesn’t find out, it would only make things even more complicated.” She played with the hem of her blood red dress, looking down on her hands. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I want to wring his neck for putting you in this position,” Ambrose grumbled. He didn’t want to see Sabrina like this. Sad. Resigned. He wanted to see her smile and be happy, the way … the way she had pretended to be earlier. “And I want to hex his grandmother for making it even worse.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be mad at him,” she asked. “He didn’t do it on purpose. I’m sure he would have asked someone else if he had known about my feelings. Plus, I could have said no, but I didn’t. And Aurora … from what Nick told me about his grandparents, I guess she’s just happy about the idea that Nick has found the same happiness they shared and is a bit too enthusiastic about it.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re making a lot of excuses, cuz,” he remarked, not happy about the fact that she simply shrugged.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We should probably get back in there or they’re going to wonder if we killed each other. Aunt Zee is probably already looking for the shovels to put us in the Cain pit,” Sabrina said. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. They’re likely already wondering what’s taking so long,” Ambrose agreed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They went back to the parlor and Sabrina quickly reclaimed her spot next to Nick with a smile plastered on her face that her cousin now understood wasn’t real. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick automatically put his arm around her waist again and leaned in enough so she could feel his breath on her shoulder. “Everything okay?” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything’s okay,” she confirmed and leaned a little into him as he kissed her temple in response.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ambrose watched the exchange with new eyes. Damn Scratch for slowly breaking his cousin’s heart. Because even if she didn’t realize it yet, that was exactly what was happening right there. However, something else caught his attention – the way Aurora Scratch was watching them, almost as if she was waiting for anything to happen. Curious. He’d definitely have to keep an eye on that as the evening progressed. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Soon enough, everyone moved to the dining room that looked like one of the ghosts of Christmas has swept through it, brimming with festive decorations. Dinner itself was a relatively innocent affair, although Sabrina could feel her cousin’s eyes on her every so often, as if silently checking in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>While Hilda got desert, Nick covered Sabrina’s hand on the table with his own. Zelda had a content smile on her face when she noticed, leaning back a little in her chair while sipping on her wine. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell anyone about your relationship, Sabrina,” she said.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina and Nick exchanged quick glances. “I told you, auntie, we just wanted to be sure first before we told anyone about this.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure about what?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Our feelings, that we would actually work … there were a lot of things we wanted to figure out first,” Nick jumped in. He gently turned Sabrina’s hand, entangling their fingers in the process, and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ambrose thought he saw Sabrina flinch a little at the gesture, but figured his eyes were playing tricks on him when she smiled at Nick. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think you make a wonderful pair. A match made in hell, really,” Aurora jumped in.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I agree. Edward would have approved as well, I’m sure,” Zelda added. And why would her brother not have? Nicholas Scratch was a highly talented young warlock from a good family. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember how proud he was to become a father,” Nicodemus recalled with the hint of a smile. “And also terrified. He reached out to my father for guidance, advice, anything really … who sent him to me because he felt like it had been too long since he had to raise a child and </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>were a bit more than a year old at the time,” he said, looking at Nick. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Diana and I once talked about our children hopefully becoming friends down the line,” Katalin remembered. “Being pregnant for 13 months was a scary experience for her, so she reached out to me, having been through that not too long before. I’m sure your parents would have been happy about this, Sabrina. And proud of the wonderful witch you grew up to be.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope so,” she answered with a soft smile. She hadn’t heard about her parents and Nick’s being – well, maybe even friends? - but she was glad to hear it. That her mother had someone to confide in outside the family. However, she highly doubted her parents would be too happy about her playing a part in this charade to deceive Nick’s grandmother. Her stomach clenched at the thought of disappointing her parents. Telling her aunts the truth would be bad enough.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I just realized something,” Aurora said, “you never told us how this actually happened.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ambrose raised an eyebrow at that as he looked at Sabrina, but she didn’t let the older witch’s words irritate her. However, the question still rubbed him the wrong way. Knowing what he knew, this meant adding another lie to the by now probably ridiculously long list.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick launched his tale of wobbling bookshelves and a heroic safe and their moonlit picnic, making Hilda swoon a bit and Zelda nod in approval. Ambrose’s eyebrow climbed a little higher at the story. Did nobody notice how ludicrous that sounded? But then again, maybe Scratch had decided to go over the top to make it more believable. Sabrina kept quiet through it all, smiling at the right moments and kissing Nick’s cheek when he talked about the date that never was. To Ambrose, her smile now looked forced, not fully reaching her eyes and he felt bad for his cousin. The thought of her hurting got his hackles up. The second this thing was over, he was going to hex Scratch into the next year, no matter what Sabrina said. It also wouldn’t matter how natural it looked whenever he touched his cousin.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why haven’t I heard about those students’ behavior, though? Who was it?” She asked. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick shrugged. “We got this out of it, so we thought we’d let it slide for once." He kissed Sabrina’s temple again just as Hilda came back with a tablet full of the most elaborate little cakes he had ever seen: every single one shaped like a Yule tree with tiny decorations made from chocolate and what he guessed was sugar. A tree floated to everyone seated and Nick stared at the one in front of him in wonder.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay, Nick?” Sabrina asked with a small smile, this one real at the look of wonder on his face. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He blinked. “Sure, I just …” he looked at Hilda. “You don’t expect us to destroy these pieces of art, do you?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda giggled a little at the compliment. “Of course you’re supposed to! And sooner rather than later, trust me.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina’s eyes lit up at that. “You really want to do that.” She picked up her fork and pierced her cake, her smile widening as the molten chocolate core broke free.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Unholy shit,” Nick mumbled. Yes, his mother was a great cook and a good baker in her own right, but this was on a different level.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Sabrina knows how to make those,” Hilda said and the younger witch shrugged.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But they don’t look as pretty as yours, auntie.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Give it a few centuries and they will.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy to be your guinea pig if you want to try,” Nick readily offered, making his family laugh.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nicholas has a bit of a sweet tooth,” Aurora explained. “I mentioned earlier that he stuck around the other day when Sabrina helped me bake some cookies and as my grandson pointed out, that is a well-loved tradition.” The older witch paused. “I really should have thought of bringing some of them with me as a gift, my apologies.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hilda shook her head. “No need to apologize. Oh! Speaking of gifts!” She looked at her niece. “When will you and Nicholas drop by so we can exchange those?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina and Nick exchanged glances. “Well, to be honest, I don’t know yet when we’ll have the time?” She looked at him, hoping he could provide more insight. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll exchange our gifts tomorrow night, so … maybe follow the mortal tradition and make it the morning of the 25</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span>?” He suggested with a slight shrug. “But I don’t need anything,” he quickly added, “I got the greatest gift already.” Nick smiled at Sabrina and grabbed her free hand again when she blushed.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ambrose fought the urge to roll his eyes. Knowing what he knew, the other warlock’s words only infuriated him. Did he really have to lay it on this thick? However, his aunt Hilda was beaming and he realized that Nick had solely said it to sell the story to her even more, to kill any remaining sliver of doubt that might have still been there. On the other hand, the look on Nick’s face as he set his eyes on Sabrina could almost be described as adoringly and Ambrose wasn’t sure if Scratch was that good of an actor. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After desert, the small gathering of families moved to the parlor again, Ambrose taking over the role of the barkeeper. He decided to make his cousin’s drink a bit stronger, sure that she could use it. Throughout the evening, he had watched her closely and picked up on the tiniest signs that she was uncomfortable once and again. However, she had made sure to slap a smile on her face and play the girlfriend to perfection, and there was no doubt in his mind that she had been hurting herself in the process. The urge to hex Nick for putting her through that grew steadily and he had to remind himself that the younger warlock had no idea how Sabrina really felt about him.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Currently they were seated on the couch, Nick’s arm draped over her shoulders as he talked to his father. What caught Ambrose’s attention was the fact that Nick didn’t simply hold his cousin, his fingers were moving over her arm in soothing circles. That had been a recurring thing he had noticed: little touches that went beyond what was strictly necessary to sell their story. And he had to begrudgingly admit that the way Nick looked at Sabrina when she didn’t notice was too honest to be just a charade. Maybe his cousin was wrong and the warlock actually had feelings for her that went beyond the lust a lot of their kind simply acted on? He wasn’t certain what to believe anymore and decided to watch Nick a little closer than he had so far. But all of that didn’t mean that he wasn’t still angry at the other warlock for putting her through this.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Salem entered the room and jumped up on the couch, perching on the armrest and fixating Nick with sharp eyes for a moment before looking at Sabrina, meowing pitifully.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes. “No, Salem, Nick is not hogging all of my attention,” she answered, making those close enough to hear her chuckle. Another yowl followed and she sighed. “I know that I haven’t really been here the last few days, but you could have always come to me, you know?” The familiar responded with a trilling sound. “Well, then come over here and stop being a baby.” Salem did just that, climbing over Nick’s lap before curling up in Sabrina’s, purring when she buried her hand in his black fur. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a good thing he’s not bigger, jealous familiars can be a dangerous thing,” Nicodemus said, shaking his head with a small smile at the exchange.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, he’s not really jealous,” Sabrina replied, “he’s just being dramatic.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>your familiar, after all,” Ambrose threw in, earning a dirty look from his cousin. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I remind you how dramatic you were when you thought Salem had eaten Leviathan?” She raised an eyebrow, daring him to contradict her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That was decades ago, cousin, let it rest,” he quickly answered, placing her drink in front of her. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I remember that,” Nick jumped in, reaching over and petting the familiar as well to pacify him. “Didn’t those dramatics include you chasing poor Salem here through the academy and a screaming match with Sabrina?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Salem meowed without raising his head and Sabrina giggled. “Oh, suddenly you like Nick again, huh?”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ambrose feigned pulling out a notebook from the inside of his jacket. “Note to self, move out of the mortuary to get away from my cousin and her traitorous familiar,” he said, mockingly writing on the inside of his hand. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Aurora looked at the supposed couple with a serene smile as she leaned back in the armchair she currently occupied. “Who knows what the next year will bring, maybe Nicholas and Sabrina move in together and you won’t have to flee,” she said, looking at them expectantly.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was in that moment that Ambrose realized that Aurora knew. She knew that Sabrina and Nick were faking it and she was having fun pushing their buttons. And from the way she had been watching them all night, he couldn’t help but wonder if she also did it because she suspected the same thing he did and at least in part knew for certain: two people who harbored feelings for each other, but were stuck in this web of lies they had created.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick was the first one to recover. “I don’t know, grandma. We’re taking it slow. Why hurry? We have all the time in the world.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I just figured, since you’re not sneaking around anymore,” his grandmother replied. “It’s really the logical next step. And don’t you think it sounds nice, your own house? Next year, you could already burn a Yule log in your own hearth.” </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that sounds lovely!” Hilda threw in. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina could see her aunt already mentally going through fabric samples for drapes. “Well, we’ll see. It’s really too soon to make those kinds of plans.” She looked at Ambrose, a silent cry for help. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of next year, though, did you already decide whether you’ll stage big Lupercalia festivities again, aunt Zee?” He gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod when Sabrina threw him the smallest smile, relaxing a little again. He could only imagine how uncomfortable this line of conversation had to be for her.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think the students have learned their lesson this year and will heed the warnings not to wander too far. However, we’ll put some extra wards around the perimeter, just to be sure,” Zelda answered, happy to jump on the topic and ensure the high priest that the academy was in good hands. She’d have to take some additional precautions, but the animal attack this year wouldn’t stop her from upholding tradition. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d be happy to help with that,” Nick offered, his arm still around Sabrina. It would give him an excuse to step out of the library for a while and his protective wards would be stronger than those of other members of the staff, so it simply made sense. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zelda nodded. “Thank you, Nicholas, that is very much appreciated.” She picked up her martini. “I believe it is time for a toast. To a fruitful and mostly quiet and peaceful year, hopefully the next one will be just like it.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll drink to that,” the high priest answered with a smile. “Cheers.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Three hours later, Sabrina fell down on the bed in Nick’s old room, closing her eyes with a groan when the door clicked closed. “That was the longest dinner party of my entire life,” she said, her eyes still closed. The bed shifted next to her and she guessed Nick had sat down. “And that includes the dinner when aunt Hilda’s truth cake made Lady Blackwood blurt out that she had rigged the Feast of Feasts.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Without thinking, Nick placed his hand on her knee and gave it a supporting squeeze. “We made it through, that’s the most important thing. Nobody got suspicious, not even with grandma trying to push us into moving in together.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Sabrina took a deep breath. There was something she hadn’t been able to confess yet. She opened her eyes and forced herself to sit up. “About nobody getting suspicious …" she started, biting her lower lip.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Nick knew that look, had it seen enough times over the decades. Whatever she was going to say next wouldn’t be good.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I … well, I kind of told Ambrose what’s going on,” she mumbled. </span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick groaned. “Spellman, seriously?” He saw this whole thing go up in flames.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not going to say anything. He promised,” Sabrina tried to ensure him. “He was just so upset about the whole snow figures thing and … I had to, Nick, I’m sorry.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed. “I hope he keeps quiet,” he said, squeezing her knee again. “It’s okay. I realize this is a lot and you probably needed to vent to someone that isn’t me.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That was one way to put it, but she wasn’t going to correct him. “Thanks for understanding.”</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nick smiled a little at that. “Of course. Now, I don’t know about you, but I just want to go to bed and sleep until next year after tonight.” He got up and offered Sabrina his hand, pulling her back to her feet when she took it. Although he couldn’t say it, he was already looking forward to waking up with her in his arms again, cuddled close to him in her sleep when her guard was down.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That would be amazing, just sleep until all of this is over,” she answered, a small smile on her own face in response that betrayed the lingering nervousness at sharing a bed with him, even after a few nights. Just a few more. She could get through those. </span>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. "You have your journals, Nick. My job here is done."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is it, the final part! Thanks everyone for reading, giving kudos or commenting - just genereally for coming on this little yule trip with me!</p><p>It's a little bittersweet saying goodbye to this verse already after only four chapters, so maybe I'll come back to it again at some point for prompts if you want :-)</p><p>All of that said, I hope you enjoy the last part, let me know what you think!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>I don't belong without you<br/>
Your ice cold feet<br/>
Write all my songs about you<br/>
I love you more and more each day<br/>
Can't find poetic ways to say<br/>
I hope it lasts another year </em>
</p><p>
  <em>(FINNEAS - Another Year)</em>
</p><p>The next morning came way too soon for Sabrina’s liking. While she had enjoyed waking up in Nick’s embrace again, she had reminded herself that this was only temporary and not to get used to it, no matter how good it felt. However, she had allowed herself a few extra moments in his arms before she started moving, letting him know she was awake in the process.  </p><p>Little did she know that Nick did the same thing. When he opened his eyes, Sabrina was still quiet and cuddled close to him – her head on his chest, her arm around his middle as he held her. He didn’t want this to end, he was sure of that, more so than ever. Their kiss after that snowball fight had cemented that thought, now he just needed to figure out how to talk to Sabrina about it. He absentmindedly pulled her closer and she sighed contently in her sleep, nestling her face into his chest. Soon. Only a few more days, then he could talk to her about this without the looming threat that was his grandmother. And with the tiniest bit of luck, this would become their new normal. </p><p>They traded shy smiles and quick good mornings when they couldn’t pretend to be asleep any longer before Sabrina quickly excused herself to the bathroom to get ready. They had a ritual to attend. </p><p>It was still dark outside when they met Nick’s family in the backyard. A circle of tall white candles shone like a beacon, an altar in its center covered in candles as well, none of them lit yet. A golden candle rose above the rest, catching the light of the circle. </p><p>“There you are, we started to think you were going to sleep through the ritual,” Katalin said, taking the young couple in. They looked tired, but considering the line of questioning they had had to deal with the night before at some point and the late night in general, she could only imagine how exhausted they were.  </p><p>“Of course not, mom. I know how important this is to you,” Nick answered with a slow smile. The ritual to welcome back the sun had been a part of the Yule festivities for as long as he could remember.  </p><p>“Well, you have impeccable timing, the sun rises in a few minutes,” the high priest said, picking up the ritual dagger and the golden candle that would represent the sun to carve symbols for protection in the wax.  </p><p>“That was all Sabrina, she made me hurry up. Would have been a bit of a closer call otherwise,” he responded, his arm around her tightening. </p><p>Katalin laughed at that. “Then thank you for making sure you’re here on time,” she said. “I know that Nick is not exactly a morning person, never was.” He’d been a menace to get out of bed for school as a child and even more so later as a teenager, it often took his father threatening to hex him into the next week to finally get up. </p><p>“Okay, before my mother and my girlfriend get a chance to team up against me, can we please get this ritual started, dad?” Nick asked, jostling Sabrina slightly when she laughed and rolled her eyes at him. It felt good to call her his girlfriend. Right. He prayed to everything unholy that it would stay that way after the holidays.  </p><p>Meanwhile, Sabrina was glad that Nick was a gifted binder and conjurer, but not too attuned to spiritual abilities like the Weird Sisters. Otherwise, he might have picked up on what it did to her to hear him call her his girlfriend. How she wanted it to be real although she knew that the very thought was stupid and would only lead to her own heart breaking. She took a deep breath to clear her head and leaned a bit closer into Nick to escape the cold when she exhaled and the air fogged up a little before her. </p><p>“I think you’ll survive a bit of teasing for a moment longer,” Nicodemus responded, his eyes firmly on the candle while he finished his work. He placed the golden candle back down on its small pedestal a minute later and signaled everyone to step closer. “Alright, let’s begin. Sabrina, you’re familiar with the ritual, I suppose?” Not every witch family welcomed the sun back after the solstice, but he was fairly certain the Spellmans were among them. </p><p>“I am,” she answered, taking Nick’s hand as well as Aurora’s to close the circle around the small altar. </p><p>With one last look at the clock he had placed outside the circle, the high priest began his blessing. “The solstice gone, the year is done, in darkness the candle burns, the light of the sun returns.” He lit the golden candle as the first rays of sunlight broke the darkness, the flame burning a bright white, a stark contrast to the darkness surrounding it. </p><p>The flame grew and sparks started to jump to the innermost circle of the surrounding candles, setting them ablaze, the fire moving like the ripples in a pond after a stone had been dropped in, slowly drawing wider circles. </p><p>They spoke the second part of the blessing together. “The flame brings warmth, the light brings life, as the wheel turns, may we all thrive.” </p><p>Sabrina watched as more candles caught fire until the altar finally housed an ocean of flickering flames. The color of the golden sun candle’s flame changed at that, the bright white slowly shifting to a yellow and finally orange color. The air crackled with energy and Sabrina couldn’t help the little gasp that escaped her lips. While her family performed this ritual as well, she had never felt this kind of surge before.  </p><p>Nick squeezed her hand and sent her a small smile as he tangled their fingers together. The power in their circle made his skin tingle as he soaked up the warmth the candles emitted. The ritual felt more powerful than it had in the past, maybe because of Sabrina’s addition to the circle. Whatever it was, Nick felt the magic seep into him, filling every fiber of his being.  </p><p>With a sudden burst of energy all candles went out at once, except for the golden candle still burning brightly on its pedestal. The magic called upon in the ritual would make sure it burned all the way through the new year, a token of good fortune and prosperity for the year to come. </p><p>When Nick looked at Sabrina, he saw that her cheeks were flushed, her eyes taking in the backyard as they broke the circle. He squeezed her hand, still holding onto his, he noted, again to get her attention. “You okay, Spellman?” he asked when she looked at him. </p><p>“I … sure, I’m fine. This was just different than what I’m used to,” she tried to explain. “There was so much energy, I felt like I could have touched it. It felt like it filled every cell of my body.” </p><p>He nodded. “I know what you mean. It felt more powerful than in the past for me, too. Probably because you joined us.” Nick smiled and pulled her close as he noticed his grandmother looking their way. He wrapped his free arm around Sabrina and kissed her forehead. “Considering the boost I felt, I don’t think there’s anything the next year can throw our way that we can’t handle.” </p><p>Sabrina leaned into him after the kiss, unable to stop herself from laughing when he jumped a little as the cold tip of her nose brushed against the underside of his jaw. “As long as we stick together, we can face anything,” she agreed, “just like we always have.” </p><p>Nick pressed his lips to her hair with a soft smile. While the lives of their coven had significantly calmed down after Blackwood was gone, there was still a little trouble at the academy from time to time – rowdy students summoning demons they couldn’t handle, a love spell gone wrong, and some students trying to reestablish the infamous tradition of harrowing only a few things from the last few years that came to mind. But nothing they hadn’t been able to sort out together.  </p><p>Since they were the youngest members of the academy’s staff, the students usually approached the two of them with these things, too scared of Zelda to go directly to her. His smile widened just a little as he thought that at the end of the day, one aspect of their lives hadn’t really changed since their student days: Scratch and Spellman teaming up to make sure the academy would actually see another day without too much residual damage. </p><p>At the exaggerated cough of his mother, he let go of Sabrina – not that he wanted to. “We should probably help with the candles,” he mumbled. </p><p>“The sooner we’re done cleaning up, the sooner we can go inside and get started with breakfast,” Katalin promised.  </p><p>“Is there coffee somewhere in that equation? I might fall asleep on my food otherwise,” Nick answered. </p><p> Sabrina laughed and bumped her shoulder against his arm. “I’ll make sure you stay awake,” she said with a grin. </p><p>Aurora had watched their entire exchange with a small, secretive smile. She had felt the additional power surge as well, but hadn’t been as overwhelmed by it as her grandson and Sabrina had been. Seeing them work through it together, how they held onto each other, only confirmed her belief that those two only needed a little shove in the right direction. A shove she was more than willing to provide because she wanted her grandson to be happy – and she hadn’t seen him as genuinely happy and content in a long time as he was whenever he held Sabrina. </p><p>
  <strong>****** </strong>
</p><p>After spending the day inside once the ritual had been complete and a thankfully uneventful day leading up to Christmas Eve that Sabrina spent mostly curled up with Nick and a book on the couch in front of the fireplace, Katalin had suggested a walk after dinner to get everyone off the couch at least for a little while before they exchanged gifts. Once they got home, she quickly busied herself with making mulled wine for everyone to warm up, Sabrina pitching in with Hilda’s secret recipe.  </p><p>Once everyone had a mug and was settled in the parlor again, the exchange of Christmas presents began and Sabrina realized that although the Scratch family didn’t have any mortal members, there weren’t any differences to her own family here. The same anticipation filled the air as gifts got unwrapped and Sabrina smiled when the usually formal high priest dropped all pretense and kissed his wife soundly for the new quill she had given him, made from the feather of a phoenix and meant for ceremonial purposes only. </p><p>“I didn’t even know they really existed,” Sabrina quietly said to Nick. </p><p>“They’re extremely rare, only live in the unholy lands,” the warlock answered. He got up and grabbed a small, neatly wrapped package from under the Yule tree. “Your turn, Spellman,” he added with a smile. </p><p>“I hope you remembered what I said.” She really hoped he didn’t get anything too expensive.  </p><p>“Open it and find out,” he simply stated as she took the gift from him. Nick couldn’t help the anxiety that slowly rose inside him as he watched her unwrap the present, taking way too long for his taste as she gingerly peeled away the paper without ripping it. </p><p>“Nick …" she started when she saw the jewelry box. So much for not spending too much money. What the heaven was he thinking? Sabrina took a deep breath before she opened the lid of the rectangular box. “Oh my …" she whispered as she took in the delicate golden necklace with a small, but still very detailed cat pendant made from onyx if she wasn’t mistaken and with golden eyes. </p><p>“I know how much you love Salem, so when I saw this, I just had to get it,” Nick quietly explained, smiling at her awed expression. </p><p>“It’s perfect. Thank you so much, Nick.” Sabrina put the box on the coffee table before leaning over and kissing him. For a second, she forgot that this wasn’t real, her heart beating fast as she felt him smile against her lips.  </p><p>“You’re welcome,” he replied when she pulled away, following his words up with another quick peck.  </p><p>She grabbed the box again. “Help me put it on?” She asked, smiling when he reached for the piece of jewelry and quickly put it around her neck, stealing another kiss when he was done.  </p><p>He leaned back and looked at her, the beaming smile, her twinkling eyes. “Perfect,” he said, not even sparing the necklace another glance.  </p><p>Sabrina blushed and cleared her throat. “I believe it’s your turn,” she stated, quickly grabbing his gift. Compared to the necklace, hers suddenly felt too small, but there was nothing to be done about that now.   </p><p>She shook her head with a smile as she watched him ripping the paper away, eager to get past the barrier that kept the content hidden.  </p><p>He had already felt that it was a book, but a dumbstruck expression washed over his face when he saw what it was. “Spellman, is that …" he started, gingerly opening the book. </p><p>“A first edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. You mentioned that it’s your favorite mortal gothic horror novel, so -” she didn’t get to finish the sentence because Nick kissed her, his lips insistent against hers.  </p><p>“This is amazing, Sabrina, but, how?” Nick was torn between looking at the woman in front of him and the book in his hands. How had she managed to get that in such a short amount of time? </p><p>“I had a little help. Cee pulled a few strings and … well,” she shrugged slightly.  </p><p>“I love it. Thank you, really, this is beyond amazing.” He kissed her again, a real kiss, not one of the pecks they had agreed on what felt like years ago. From the way she kissed him back, he was confident that she didn’t mind.  </p><p>Aurora watched them with a smile. She was pretty sure they had forgotten their whereabouts along with the fact that they were just supposed to put on a show for her sake and she had the feeling that all they needed was a little push over the edge to realize what was really happening. She could help with bringing them back to reality. However, she had a feeling that the landing might hurt one or both of them a little bit. All she could do was hope that it would shake them out of their stupor - she was sure that a tiny dose of pain would be worth the outcome. </p><p>After giving them a few more moments in their little bubble, smiling at each other, Aurora pushed herself out of her armchair. “I believe I promised you something, Nicholas,” she said, grabbing a big, unwrapped box from under the tree and placing it on the coffee table before him. “I do believe you are ready and mature enough for them.” </p><p>Nick took a deep breath and carefully lifted the lid off the box, grabbing the first of the leatherbound journals with slightly shaking hands. “Thanks, grandma. I … I promise to be responsible with the magic in these,” he swore, opening the book and staring at the handwriting of his grandfather, the man whose name he had inherited. He started reading, getting sucked into the words Nicholas Scratch senior had scrawled down centuries ago. </p><p>Sabrina watched with a small smile that became painful to maintain as Nick got lost in the journal in his hands. The box on the table, the book he was almost devouring – both sent her crashing down back to the reality that none of this was real. When they had exchanged their presents, she had actually forgotten about that for a moment, it had felt so true. The nervous energy rolling off of him as she unwrapped his gift, the incredulous look on his face as he saw the book that now lay forgotten on the coffee table, the way he had kissed her. None of it was real and she had been naïve enough to fall for their own charade, even if it was just for a moment. Now? Now she felt her heart crack. </p><p>Her thoughts threatened to overwhelm her and Sabrina looked around the living room. Nick’s parents and Aurora were deep in conversation and Nick was somewhere else entirely. Nobody would notice if she left. She quietly got up from her seat next to Nick and slipped out of the parlor, quickly heading up the stairs. When she closed the door of Nick’s old bedroom behind her, she let out a shaky breath she hadn’t even realized she had been holding, leaning against the dark wood.  </p><p>Her gaze was slightly blurry from the tears burning in her eyes that she refused to shed yet as it fell on her bag and she quickly crossed the room, shoving her things into it without regard. She needed to go. Nick had gotten what he wanted, there was no reason for her to stay even a minute longer. Sabrina quickly went to the bathroom and grabbed her things, dropping them in her bag as well, not caring that the contents of her makeup pouch spilled out into the wider space because she hadn’t closed it. She’d sort that out at home, right now, her sole focus was on leaving. </p><p>Meanwhile, Aurora had very much noticed the young witch slipping out of the room from the corner of her eye, mentally shaking her head about her grandson. He was so absorbed in the journal he was reading that he hadn’t even noticed. She decided to give Sabrina a moment to herself before she finally spoke up. “Nicholas, where is Sabrina?” </p><p>“What? She’s right-” he started, but stopped when he found the spot beside him empty. When had that happened? “I’ll be right back,” Nick murmured, his brow furrowed. Where had she gone? He left the parlor, closing the door behind himself as he started for the stairs when he saw her in the entrance area, putting on her coat, her bag next to her on the floor. “Spellman? Where are you going?” he asked, the frown deepening. </p><p>Sabrina quietly cursed when she heard his voice. So much for leaving unnoticed. “I’m going home,” she simply said.  </p><p>“What? Why?” For a moment, Nick feared the lines might get etched into his forehead permanently. Had something happened that he hadn’t noticed? The frown deepened when he heard the humorless snort that escaped her. </p><p>“Because you have your journals, Nick. My job here is done, no need for me to stick around. I might as well go home. Just … I don’t know, tell your grandma there was a family emergency or that something happened to Salem … I’m sure you’ll think of something.” He didn’t need to know that her plan was to curl up in her bed and beat herself up over her own stupidity. She grabbed her scarf and put it around her neck, her fingers brushing the necklace he had given her. A sad smile appeared on her face as she opened the clasp on the back of her neck. “I almost forgot. I hope you still have the receipt for this.” Sabrina wanted to kick herself for the small waver in her voice as she said it. </p><p>“That was a gift, Sabrina,” Nick said, shaking his head. He didn’t understand what was happening, but her trying to give back the necklace hurt.  </p><p>“A gift for your girlfriend, which I’m not,” she added. When he didn’t take the necklace, Sabrina placed it on the small table that held a vase with enchanted white roses. She left her coat open, the need to leave stronger than the desire to stay warm when she stepped outside. It didn’t matter anyway, she only needed to make it to the end of the driveway, then she’d teleport home. “Bye, Nick. I … well, I’ll see you when classes start again.” She grabbed her bag and opened the door, slipping outside into the cold where she was greeted by the figures they had built only two days ago. Sabrina squeezed her eyes closed for a moment before forcing herself to move again. </p><p>Nick’s hurried steps crunched behind her in the snow. “Wait just a second, Sabrina. What the heaven is going on?” He didn’t understand. How had they gone from kissing – honestly kissing, not the fake thing they had agreed on – earlier to this? He had seen the unshed tears glistening in her eyes, had heard her voice shake. A crucial piece of the puzzle was missing, though. </p><p>“Nothing. I told you, my job is done, so I’m leaving,” she answered, trying to steel herself.  </p><p>“I don’t believe you. Try again,” he said, stepping closer.  </p><p>“I don’t need to try again because that’s what’s happening.” </p><p>Nick shook his head. “You can repeat that as many times as you want, I don’t believe you.” </p><p>She pursed her lips. “That’s your problem, then.” Sabrina felt anger bubble up inside of her. Good. Being angry was far easier than facing the rest of her emotions. She turned around and started walking again. </p><p>“For someone who claims that nothing is wrong, you look suspiciously like you’re running away from something,” he called after her. Nick had said it to get a rise out of her, but the more he thought about it, the truer his words seemed. Sneaking out of the parlor, grabbing her things, intending to leave the house without telling everyone – she was running and it was almost comical that she tried to tell him otherwise. “What are you so scared of, Sabrina?” </p><p>“I’m not scared of anything,” she threw over her shoulder. And she really wasn’t. But with every passing moment the cracks in her heart were deepening and she didn’t want to stick around the person who caused it. </p><p>“Was it the kisses earlier? Because I hate to break it to you, but that wasn’t the first time we kissed like that. Like it was real. Like it meant something,” Nick replied, moving a little faster to catch up with her.  </p><p>Sabrina stopped in her tracks and turned around. “That’s the problem, Nick, it meant something to me and it can’t.” </p><p>“What? I don’t get it, Sabrina,” he answered, trying and failing to follow her line of thinking.  </p><p>“Do I need to spell it out for you?” she asked, her mouth moving faster than her brain could tell her not to go on. “I’m in love with you!” Her words registered and her eyes widened at the realization that she had actually said it out loud. “I have to go,” she whispered, hurrying towards the end of the driveway.  </p><p>Nick stood frozen in his spot. Had she just …? He shook himself out of his stupor when he realized that she had reached the gate and he ran after her, quickly bridging the distance. He couldn’t let her go. Not without telling her how he felt. “Sabrina, wait!”  </p><p>She shook her head and stepped outside, Nick following close behind. Finally. Just a moment longer, then this would finally be over. Maybe Ambrose would take pity on her and watch some crappy Christmas movies with her. “Lanuae Mag-” she started, but Nick gently grabbed her arm and pulled her close as he captured her lips with his, keeping her from finishing the spell. His other hand went to her cheek, his thumb gently caressing her cheekbone. </p><p>“I’m in love with you, too, Sabrina,” he whispered against her lips, kissing her again before she could respond. Nick felt her relax slightly against him and took that as a good sign. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. “Mind explaining why you thought us kissing couldn’t mean something?” He still couldn’t follow her logic. </p><p>“Because you don’t want a relationship,” she answered quietly, her mind still reeling from the kiss and what he had just said. He was in love with her? Nick? In love? “I’ve known you for so long and you were never in a real relationship. But that’s what <em> I </em>want. So it can’t mean anything, because if I allow it to have meaning, I’m only going to get my heart broken,” she rambled. </p><p>“Spellman …" Nick didn’t know what to say. Yes, he saw how his past could lead her to that conclusion. “Don’t you realize that maybe I wasn’t in a relationship because I didn’t feel enough for them? Didn’t feel the way I feel about you? I want a relationship. With <em> you </em>, Sabrina. And if I had known how you felt I would have made a move a lot earlier. But you always shot me down, I thought you weren’t interested.” </p><p>“I shot you down because I thought you weren’t serious,” Sabrina answered. </p><p>“Well, I am. Very serious,” he said with a small, hopeful smile. </p><p>She didn’t answer. Instead, Sabrina dropped her bag to the ground and pulled Nick down into another kiss, pouring all of her emotions into it.  </p><p>He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, unwilling to let her go again, and deepened the kiss. It felt right, to kiss her like this. Like the last piece finally completing the puzzle. When he had to break the kiss, he smiled. “So … we’re not pretending anymore, huh?” </p><p>She giggled and kissed him again. “I guess we’re not pretending anymore.” </p><p>“You guess?” </p><p>Sabrina leaned back a little. “You haven’t asked me if I want to be your girlfriend,” she said, laughing when Nick pulled her back in. </p><p>“Be my girlfriend?” Nick asked, his dark eyes shining. </p><p>“I’d love to,” she answered, her smile so wide her cheeks started to hurt. </p><p>He couldn’t help it, he needed to kiss her again, pulling her into a tight hug afterwards, noting again how perfectly she fit into his arms. “Think we can go back inside? It’s pretty cold and I didn’t grab a coat. Priorities, you know?” </p><p>She laughed. “Let’s go back inside.” When she picked up her bag, Nick took it from her, slinging it over his shoulder, his other arm wrapped around her as they walked back up to the house. </p><p>Back inside, he helped her out of her coat and put it on a hanger before grabbing the necklace from the table while she took her shoes off. The second she was done, Nick took her hand and pulled her up the stairs to his old room. </p><p>“What are you doing?” Sabrina asked, trying not to laugh.  </p><p>“You’ll see,” he said, closing the door behind them and dropping her bag on the floor where it had sat for the last few days.  </p><p>Before Sabrina had a chance to move, Nick pushed her up against the wall and captured her lips with his, the force of the kiss knocking the breath out of her. She buried a hand in his dark curls while the other landed on his shoulder for support, gasping when he left a trail of kisses on her cheek before focusing on her neck. Sabrina was glad for the wall she was pressed up against because her knees didn’t exactly feel trustworthy at the moment. </p><p>“Nick,” she whispered, his name a breathless little sound and he smiled against her skin, feeling a little smug. This was his doing, after all. </p><p>“Yeah?” he mumbled between kisses, his hand playing with the hem of her sweater before slipping under it, his fingertips grazing over her skin. </p><p>Sabrina yelped at the contact, coming back to the present. “Your hands are cold,” she said, trying not to laugh and failing miserably. </p><p>Nick laughed and kissed her again before resting his forehead against hers. “Then I’ll have to warm them up,” he said, his other hand sneaking under her sweater as well, making her laugh again.  </p><p>“I remember you saying something along the lines of that you wouldn’t push me up against a wall and make out with me, by the way,” Sabrina stated, wiggling to escape his cold fingers, but to no avail.  </p><p>“I know what I said and it was like telling someone not to think about a pink werewolf,” he answered, stealing another short kiss. “After I said that, all I could think about was what this would be like.” </p><p>“But this right now means you kind of lied to me,” she said with a smile, playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck.  </p><p>He paused for a moment before grinning. “Not really. I didn’t do this while we were pretending, so I kept my word. But we’re not pretending anymore, so … you’re fair game, Spellman.” Nick captured her lips again in a slow, deep kiss that made her toes curl on the soft carpet. Her hold on him tightened and he allowed his hands to wander, mindful of any signs that he was crossing a line.  </p><p>Sabrina’s hand traveled from his shoulder to the buttons of his shirt and she fumbled a little with the first one until it finally popped open, quickly followed by the next two.  </p><p>“Nicholas? Is everything alright?” a voice from the other side of the door asked. Aurora. </p><p>Nick broke the kiss, trying to catch his breath. It took him a moment to answer. “Everything’s okay, Grandma,” he finally said, looking at Sabrina who bit her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing, no doubt.  </p><p>“Is Sabrina with you? You have been gone for a while, we got worried.” </p><p>He smiled as he looked at the woman he had still pressed up against the wall. “She’s here. We’ll be right down,” he answered, hoping to get her to go away. This felt way too much like they were teenagers, about to get caught making out when they had been supposed to leave the door open.  </p><p>“Alright, if you say so.”  </p><p>Nick listened as her steps moved away from the door and sighed. “I guess we should go back. So much for having you to myself.”  </p><p>Sabrina leaned up and brushed a soft kiss against his lips. “We have all the time in the world.” </p><p>“You’re right, we do.” He reached into the pocket of his black jeans and pulled out the necklace. “But before we go downstairs, let me put this where it belongs.” Nick placed the piece of jewelry around her neck for the second time that day and smiled when it was back in place, right where it was supposed to be. </p><p>She touched the pendant with a small smile of her own. “I meant it, by the way. It’s perfect. Thank you, Nick, again.” </p><p>“As I said, I just had to get it for you when I saw it,” he said. “Another thing … do you think we should come clean? I mean … we replaced the fake thing with the real deal, so …" Nick felt bad for lying to his family and now hers as well, but maybe they could rectify that.  </p><p>Sabrina took a deep breath before she finally nodded. “We should. I mean, I told you from the very beginning that I wanted you to tell them the truth at some point, so we might as well do it now. Besides, it’s not like anything’s changing.” </p><p>He laughed. “That’s what you think. I’m going to kiss you a lot more in front of them now.” </p><p>She giggled and ruffled his already messed-up curls. “I can live with that.” Looking at his disheveled hair, she tried to fix it as best as she could. Just because they were telling his family what was going on didn’t mean that they needed to see too much evidence of them making out. </p><p>Nick didn’t let go of her hand as they went back downstairs and into the parlor, met with three pairs of curious looks as they sat back down. He cleared his throat and looked at Sabrina, who squeezed his hand in support. “Mom, Dad, Grandma … there’s something I need to tell you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Grandma, when I told you that I had a girlfriend, I was lying. I didn’t even think about it, I just blurted it out when you named that as the condition for getting the journals. I asked Sabrina to help me out and she agreed to play the role while you’re here. I’m sorry for lying. I really wanted those journals, I’m not going to lie about that, but you also sounded so happy about the whole thing and I just couldn’t come clean.” </p><p>He looked at the woman next to him with a small smile. “But what I didn’t take into account when I asked Sabrina to help me out were my feelings for her … and her feelings for me, as it turns out. So, we might have pretended to be a couple for the last few days, but it’s real now. And … I have to thank you for that, Grandma. I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t sit here right now if you hadn’t told me I’d only get the journals if I settled down.” He lifted Sabrina’s hand to his lips and gently kissed its back. </p><p>“I’m sorry, too, Aurora. When Nick first asked me, I didn’t want to do it, but … I always had a hard time saying no to him, so I agreed, thinking that I’d only have to show up a time or two and that would be it. My guilty conscience grew bigger with every minute we spent here, deceiving you. I’m really sorry,” Sabrina added, biting the inside of her cheek.  </p><p>Aurora looked at them for a long moment, took in their faces, torn between guilt and their newfound love. She finally gave in and started laughing, even more so when they looked at her in confusion. “Did you really think I didn’t know?” she finally asked. “Nicholas, dear boy, I’ve known you from the moment you first drew breath. On top of that, I’m almost 700 years old. Did you honestly think you could fool me?” </p><p>He looked at her, a dumbstruck expression on his face, caught somewhere between shock and disbelief. “You knew?” Nick finally asked. </p><p>His grandmother laughed and shook her head at his question. “Of course I knew. Your timing of suddenly having a girlfriend when I named it as my condition was a little too convenient to be trusted, so I already came here suspicious. When you introduced Sabrina as your girlfriend and your parents had no idea, I knew. Because from the way you two acted, there would have been no way that you would have been able to keep it a secret for half a year. But I also saw the way you two looked at each other. I thought maybe you just needed a little push in the right direction.” </p><p>“That’s why you asked us to stay,” Sabrina realized. </p><p>“And made us share my old room,” Nick added. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Well played, Grandma,” he said. “We thought we were fooling you and everyone else when you were the one pulling the strings.” </p><p>“You two made it almost too easy,” Aurora said, watching with a smile as her grandson let go of his girlfriend’s hand only to wrap his arm around her waist to hold her closer. “But I couldn’t help but wonder why you even needed a little nudge in the first place.” </p><p>Nick kissed Sabrina’s temple when she leaned into his side. “Let’s just say there was bit of miscommunication and leave it at that. But your nudging helped and we’re on the same page now.” </p><p>“So, just to sum this mess up, you pretended to be in a relationship to get my father’s journals, you asked a woman you had feeling for to help you out without realizing she had feelings for you as well, your grandmother saw right through you and played both of you like an instrument and now you’re actually together?” Nicodemus asked, feeling a headache forming. Why his son couldn’t do things the easy way, he’d most likely never understand.  </p><p>“We sound like complete morons when you put it like that, but yes, in a nutshell,” Nick confirmed. </p><p>“I mean … we were, at least a little bit,” Sabrina threw in with a small smile and a shrug. </p><p>“I -” he started, but stopped himself. She had a point. Nick sighed and kissed her instead, felt her smile against his lips. “Guess you’re dating an idiot, then.” </p><p>“That’s okay,” she answered with a grin. “As long as you’re my idiot.” </p><p>He laughed and nudged the tip of her nose with his own. “I am, that’s something you’ll never have to worry about.” </p><p>Aurora watched the exchange with a smile, glad to see her grandson happy. He deserved that and so much more. Looking at him and Sabrina, she couldn’t help but think about her late husband, sure that he would approve of the two of them – and the use of his legacy to make it happen.     </p><p>Later that evening, she saw the two of them squeezed together in an armchair, Sabrina curled up in Nick’s arms as they read one of the journals together. From the look on the young witch’s face, it was from the time when Edward had been under the wing of her late husband. They talked about whatever they were reading, smiling and kissing each other without a care in the world and certainly without a care who saw them.  </p><p>Looking at them now, the way they sat together, the soft absentminded touches and the intimacy that had quickly developed between them, she found it hard to see how anyone could have fallen for their little charade before. Aurora left the parlor, Gaia trotting after her, just as Nick brushed a platinum curl behind Sabrina’s ear and looked at her like she hung the stars in the sky while she laughed about whatever he had whispered in her ear before. Things certainly couldn’t have turned out better. </p><p><b> ****** </b> </p><p><em>Don't have a clue where I'll be</em> <br/>
<em>Except for next to you on New Year's Eve</em> </p><p><em> (FINNEAS – Another Year) </em> </p><p>A few nights later, things were slightly hectic at the Scratch household. It was a few minutes to midnight on New Year’s Eve and everyone was getting ready to step outside to watch the fireworks. The high priest was already outside, conjuring up floating lights in different colors that hovered for now, but would shoot up into the night sky as well at the stroke of midnight.  </p><p>Aurora had decided to stay longer than initially planned and was currently watching her grandson tugging on Sabrina’s scarf, making sure it would keep the cold out, which earned him a kiss on the cheek. Ever since the pieces finally fell into place, those two had been inseparable and it warmed her to the core that she had managed to help them along the way. </p><p>“It started snowing again,” Nicodemus warned as he came back inside, rubbing his hands together, hoping the friction would create some warmth. </p><p>“I told you to put on some gloves,” Katalin said, raising an eyebrow as she watched her husband try to regain some warmth before everyone stepped outside again.  </p><p>He sighed. “I know you did, love,” he answered, stepping up to her. “Now I guess I’ll just have to find another way to warm my hands up again.” He stepped up to her with an innocent smile and put his hands on her cheeks, making her yelp. </p><p>Sabrina laughed and looked at Nick, who shook his head at his parents’ behavior. “Now I know at least where you get it from.” </p><p>“If I remember correctly, you didn’t exactly complain.” He grinned and quickly kissed her before she could say another thing. “Come on, let’s go outside.” </p><p>After a few steps towards the door, Sabrina stopped. “Hang on, you forgot your scarf,” she said, grabbing the black knitted piece and put it around his neck. With a cheeky smile, she used the scarf to pull him down towards her and kissed him soundly. “Now this is useful,” she added, giving the scarf a gentle tug for emphasis.  </p><p>Nick laughed and wrapped the wool around his neck, securing the ends inside his coat. “You don’t need that to kiss me.” </p><p>“I don’t <em> need </em>it, but gift horse and all that,” she responded with a shrug. When they stepped outside, Sabrina took her surroundings in with a smile. The lights the high priest had conjured lit up the driveway, basking everything in a soft light. The snow people still stood proud, silent guardians, emitting a bit of light themselves. “This is beautiful,” she murmured, taking in her surroundings. A cold breeze made her shiver, though. “But it’s also cold as heaven out here.” </p><p>Nick kissed her temple. “Hold on,” he said before going back inside. He came back a few moments later with a big afghan he had grabbed from the parlor draped around his shoulders. Before she could even ask what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping them both in the blanket. “I’ll keep you warm, Spellman.” </p><p>She thought her heart might have skipped a beat or two at the statement and wrapped her arms around his middle, cuddling closer into his embrace with a quiet “Thank you.”  </p><p>When her nose brushed against the underside of his jaw, he drew in a sharp breath. “How can you already be an icicle? We stepped out here a minute ago,” he complained, pulling her closer. He muttered a spell under his breath and the blanket around them started emitting warmth.  </p><p>“You’re complaining <em> now </em>, wait until I try to warm up my cold feet later,” Sabrina warmed him with a grin. “Any idea what time it is?” </p><p>Nick checked the watch on his wrist before putting his arm around her again. “Two minutes to go.” </p><p>She leaned her head against his shoulder. “Do you know about the mortal tradition to kiss at midnight?”  </p><p>He smiled and pulled her closer. “I think I heard about that before. But I mean, if it’s tradition, we should definitely do that. Traditions are important and if that helps you to stay connected to your mortal side, who am I to oppose.”  </p><p>Sabrina laughed, shaking a bit in his arms. “I had a feeling you might like that one.” </p><p>When midnight came and the fireworks exploded over Greendale, Nick leaned down and kissed her, long and insistent, only pulling away when he absolutely had to. “Happy new year, Spellman,” he said quietly. </p><p>“Happy new year,” she echoed, burying into his embrace again for a moment before they walked over to his family, exchanging hugs and well-wishes for the new year. Soon enough, Nick had wrapped her up in his arms and the blanket again as they watched the fireworks in town but also the enchanted lights brighten up the night sky.  </p><p>“I think we should get your grandma another gift,” Sabrina suggested after a while, unable to suppress the content sigh that came over her lips as Nick gently rubbed her back. “A big one.” </p><p>He smiled and kissed her hair, a few snowflakes that had caught in the platinum tresses melting against his lips. “You’re right. We really should.” After all, she was the reason they were here, wrapped in each other’s arms.  </p><p>“I’ll always take you naming your firstborn daughter after me,” Aurora said, laughing heartily at their shocked faces.  </p><p>“Grandma!” Nick exclaimed, shaking his head. </p><p>“What?” She asked innocently.  </p><p>“Slow down a little, would you?” he grumbled. </p><p>“I’m not getting any younger, Nicholas, and I’d very much like to meet any great-grandchildren you might give me.” She couldn’t help herself, riling her grandson up like this was just way too entertaining. </p><p>“Not happening anytime soon, Grandma,” Nick said, taking a deep breath. “And what are <em> you </em>laughing about, huh?” He asked Sabrina, who was shaking in his arms in quiet laughter.  </p><p>She had seen the glint in Aurora’s eyes as she spoke and realized that the older witch wasn’t serious. “Nothing, absolutely nothing,” she replied, still grinning when she buried her face in his coat. Sabrina lifted her head when Nick suddenly yelped. </p><p>“What the heaven?” He mumbled, peering over his shoulder. Sure enough, the rest of a snowball clung to the blanket, rapidly melting. </p><p>“Nicholas?” Aurora asked, trying to get his attention.  </p><p>When he looked at her, he saw a snowball levitating mid-air and suddenly something clicked. “That was you, the day we built the snow figures. You threw that first snowball,” he realized. Nick looked down at Sabrina. “I told you it wasn’t me!” </p><p>She rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’m sorry for blaming you. The outcome of that snowball fight was pretty nice, though,” the witch added. </p><p>“It was,” he agreed, leaning down to kiss her again. They definitely needed to get his grandmother another gift, he thought, and smiled when Sabrina nestled into his embrace again, both happy to watch the snow slowly drift down towards the ground as the sky was still lit up by fireworks, both mortal and magical, as long as they were together. </p>
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